Luke's Surprise
by LC1986
Summary: Rachel has been keeping a secret from Luke for years. Actually, two secrets and for a very long time.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hi all! I recently re-watched the episodes of Gilmore Girls where April appears. I really didn't like how it all played out on the show and how it signaled the end for Luke and Lorelai. So, I wanted to re-write that whole thing. However, it's not going to be anything like what happened in GG. Same basic idea, but Luke and Lorelai will stay together and April won't exist. This story takes place after season six in the show. Luke and Lorelai got married at the end of the fifth season. This story stars a year and a few months after the wedding.**

**After you're done reading, please let me know what you think. I'm still debating on how far this will go or if I'll continue. Happy reading and please review!**

Rachel has been keeping a secret from Luke for years. Actually, two secrets and for a very long time.

David walked around the town square observing the early Friday morning activities. This was his first time in Stars Hollow and he was a little taken aback by how the townsfolk kept staring at him when they thought he wasn't looking. He wondered if they didn't get many visitors or if they somehow knew why he was here. He took a deep breath as he thought about what he was doing in Stars Hollow. He was here to meet his Dad. Well, to be perfectly honest, he was hoping he had the courage to meet his Dad. All his life, his Mom had told David and his twin sister that she didn't know who their father was. For twenty years David had lived without a father until a few months ago when his Mother finally broke down and told him and his sister Rebecca.

David's Mother, Rachel, had grown up in Stars Hollow. She dated Luke Danes throughout high school, but left right after graduation to pursue a life of travel and freelance photography. However, after moving to New York City she quickly discovered that she was pregnant. Rachel didn't tell anyone except her parents and chose to raise David and his twin sister Rebecca on her own. Rachel's parents moved to Florida when the twins were a year old and Rachel moved in with them so they could help her care for the twins. After David and Rebecca started school, Rachel resumed her schedule of traveling and working. Her parents gladly took care of the kids, but felt like Rachel was missing out by being gone so much. Every once in a while David would ask her about his Dad, but she always said she didn't know anything. Rebecca didn't seem to ask as much, but often confided in David that she really wished they'd grown up with both of their parents around full time. She and David had a very close relationship, but he hadn't told her about his recent plans to visit their father. Rachel had recently revealed the identity of their father and explained that she just couldn't bring herself to tell him. She apologized profusely and said that she'd gone to Stars Hollow several years ago to tell their father, but couldn't do it. David and Rebecca were very upset that she'd lied to them their whole lives, but at the same time really wanted to know their Dad. This caused a major rift between Rachel and her children. David immediately wanted to find their father, but Rebecca warned him that it might be better to just leave it alone. They were twenty years old and Rebecca had some reservations about suddenly showing up and announcing to this man that he had two grown children. David knew that Rebecca's reservations were more about her fear of being rejected by this man, so he didn't tell her that he was going to Stars Hollow. He felt a little apprehensive, but wanted to at least meet this guy and know who he was. Even if this guy completely rejected him, he had to meet him.

David stopped in front of Luke's Diner and took a deep breath. He knew there was no turning back now, so he crossed the street and entered the diner. It looked fairly busy, so he took a seat at a small empty table in the corner of the room. David looked around and tried to see if any employees were roaming around. A young Asian woman quickly walked up to him and smiled while handing him a menu.

"Hi. I'm Lane. Here's a menu to look over. Can I get you something to drink?" She said in a perky voice.

"uh, sure. Coffee please." David said while stopping her from walking away. "and pancakes." He added and handed her the menu before she took it and disappeared into the kitchen. David quickly pulled out his wallet and looked at the picture his Mom had given him a few months earlier. She told him it was his father's high school track picture. David couldn't help but think of how out of date the picture looked and that his father probably looked nothing like that picture. He quickly stuffed it back in his wallet as Lane walked over to the table with a cup and pot of coffee. She said his food would be out soon and walked away to wait on other customers.

A little while later, David had finished his pancakes and was on his second cup of coffee when a tall woman with dark hair and blue eyes entered the diner with a small baby in her arms. She walked up to counter and adjusted the baby in her arms while sitting on a stool. "Lukey! We need coffee!" She called out. A man, whom David assumed was Luke came out of the kitchen and smiled at her and the baby before she handed him the baby over the counter.

"You can have coffee, but there is no way I'm giving our son coffee." He insisted as he adjusted the baby against his chest while getting her a cup of coffee.

David quietly observed them and couldn't help but feel disappointed that Luke had a young family. When his Mom described Luke, she painted him as the typical bachelor type. The man David saw looked like a loving father and husband who ran his own business. He wondered if Luke had changed over the years or if his Mom never saw this side of him. Either way, David was not expecting this. He wondered if he should just leave and forget about talking to Luke. He shook his head and looked around the now almost empty diner before standing up and walking over to the counter with his empty coffee cup. He sat down two stools away from the woman before saying "excuse me, but could I get a refill?"

"Oh, yeah sure." Luke said before quickly passing the baby back to the woman, refilling David's cup and then returning to the kitchen.

"Excuse me, but have I met you before? You look really familiar." The woman said while looking at him questioningly.

"This is my first time in Stars Hollow, so probably not. I'm David Adams." David said and shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you David. I'm Lorelai Danes. This here is William." She said and turned the baby to David could see his face.

"Very cute." David noted while looking at the baby. "You said your last name is Danes. Are you related to Luke Danes?"

"Yes actually. He's my husband and Will's Dad. You know him?" She questioned.

"No. I'm actually here looking for him. Is he that guy with the baseball hat who just poured my coffee?"

"Depends. Are you from the FBI, IRS, or the mob?"

"No" David said while shaking his head. "He's not in any kind of trouble or anything, but I need to talk to him about a personal matter."

"Hey Luke!" Lorelai called out while keeping a skeptical eye on David.

"Yeah?" He answered and walked out of the kitchen.

"This young man says he needs to talk to you about a personal matter." She explained.

Luke nodded and walked to where David was sitting and put his hands on the counter while looking David in the eyes. "What can I help you with?" Luke asked.

"Uh, well, it's kind of a private matter. Is there some place we could go to talk?" David said nervously while looking down at his coffee cup.

"Say what you have to say. In case you haven't noticed, there aren't any customers in here. I don't keep anything from my wife, so you can say whatever it is in front of both of us." Luke said with a hint of impatience in his voice while leaning on the counter.

David swallowed the lump in his throat and looked up at Luke before whispering something to himself.

"You gotta speak up man. I'm getting old and can't hear if you don't speak up a bit."

"Did you ever know a woman named Rachel Adams?"

"Rachel?" Luke said while leaning back. "Yeah. Is she ok?"

"Yeah, she's fine." David clarified quickly. "I'm her son."

"Really? I didn't know Rachel had a kid. I saw her a few years ago and she didn't say anything about a son."

"Yeah, that's why I'm here." David tried to explain. "She told me that she came here a few years ago because she needed to tell you something, but she ended up not being able to do it."

"Ok? So, you're here to finish your Mom's business?"

"Yeah, sort of." David hesitated and took another deep breath as Luke crossed his arms and waited. "Ok, so here's the deal. Rachel dated you in high school before moving to New York. Several months after she moved there, she had twins; me and my sister. Her parents, my grandparents, moved to Florida and we moved there too. Rachel never said anything about our father when we were growing up. I kept asking her questions, but she insisted that she didn't know who our Dad was. A couple months ago she finally admitted to us that she's always known who our Dad was and told us. She gave me this picture and said that Luke Danes was our father." David finished while pulling the old picture of Luke out of his wallet. He set the picture on the counter and Luke looked at it with wide eyes. "So, I guess you're my Dad." David added as Luke's face went white.

Luke looked at David and then suddenly over at Lorelai who was also in a complete state of shock. "How old are you?" Luke asked while looking back at David.

"Twenty" David answered.

Luke appeared to be doing math in his head and then swallowed hard as he continued to stare at David. "You said something about twins?"

"Yeah, I have a twin sister. Her name is Rebecca." David answered. "Are you going to be ok? You don't look too good."

"I need to sit down." Luke said before quickly moving to sit at a nearby table.

David followed and sat across from him as Luke tried to process the information. "Look, I'm sorry that I just sprang this information on you, but I just found out you were my Dad a few months ago. I felt like I had to meet you and tell you too. You deserve to know."

"Yeah. It would have been nice to know twenty years ago." Luke said plainly as Lorelai joined them at the table. She quietly sat next to Luke and rubbed his back as he looked at David. "I'm sorry, but what's your name again?"

"David. David Adams."

"I'm sorry. I have no idea what to say, but I'm sorry. I didn't know about you." Luke tried to explain.

"It's ok Luke. Rachel didn't tell you. It's not your fault."

"I know but I missed everything. You're grown. What am I supposed to do?"

"Honestly? I have no idea." David said. "My reason for coming here and telling you was that I thought you deserved to know that you have two kids walking around out there. You don't owe us anything or have to do anything. I just wanted to meet you."

"I'm still completely shocked, but thanks. I appreciate you telling me." Luke said. "Can you stay awhile?"


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter of this story. I've decided to continue with this and I hope you like the direction I'm going. **

"_I'm still completely shocked, but thanks. I appreciate you telling me." Luke said. "Can you stay awhile?"_

"I guess. I only planned on being here for a couple of hours, but I don't have to be back in New York until Monday." David answered and shrugged his shoulders.

"You live in New York?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah. I'm in school though. I'm studying Political Science at Columbia University. I don't have class until Monday morning." David explained.

As Luke was about to speak, the bells above the door rang and Kirk walked in. "Get out Kirk" Luke barked at him. "We're closed."

"But…" Kirk began before Luke stood up and escorted him out of the diner and flipped over the open sign to indicate that the diner was now closed.

"You can spend the night above the diner here. There's an apartment that's all set up for guests." Luke explained as he sat back down at the table. He took a deep breath and looked at David again. "So, you're my son."

"Yeah. I'm not really sure what we do next. I honestly just came here with the goal of meeting you and telling you about me and Rebecca. Our Mom described you as a typical bachelor who was never interested in kids. She made it seem like you wouldn't be interested in us, so I wasn't expecting to stay very long. I kind of thought you'd blow me off." David said and looked down at the table.

Luke sat back in his chair and frowned. "David, look, when your Mom knew me and back when I was younger, I wasn't really into kids. However, I wouldn't have been that way with my own kids. I'm not that way with Will." He insisted and pointed to the sleeping baby in Lorelai's arms.

"Ok, I can understand that. Mom really should have at least told you. Even if you didn't want to be involved, at least you'd have a chance. It's kind of too late now."

"First of all, I would have wanted to be involved. I didn't know anything about kids back then, but I would have learned and tried my best to be a part of your lives. Second of all, it's not too late. At least I don't think it's too late. Our relationship might not look like other father son relationships at first, but I'd like to get to know you and spend time with you. With Rebecca too." Luke said.

"Ok, I think starting out small sounds good. I have to warn you though; I don't know how receptive Rebecca is going to be." David said. "She doesn't know that I'm here. I told her I wanted to come and that she should come too, but she refused. She thinks that we've gone our whole lives without knowing you so why bother now. I think she's just afraid of being rejected."

"Well, I'm not rejecting either one of you." Luke said plainly.

"Ok, do you mind if I take a few minutes to myself? I just need a little time to think." David said and stood up from the table.

"Sure. You can stay here or walk around town. Lorelai and I will be at our house, so just drop by or give me a call when you're ready." Luke said and went to the counter to write the information down. He handed David a slip of paper and shook the young man's hand as he left the diner.

XXXXX

"Are you ok Luke?" Lorelai asked as the family walked in the front door of their house.

"Not really" He said honestly and took a deep breath. "I'm going to go upstairs and lay down for a while."

"Ok, well let me know if there is something I can do. I love you." She said as Luke slowly walked up the stairs. Lorelai took baby Will into his room and gently laid him in his crib before making a pot of coffee in the kitchen. She sat there for a while, elbows on the table, head in her hands until Rory startled her with a "Hey Mom".

"You scarred me" Lorelai said quietly while holding her hand to her heart.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but I didn't want to wake up Will if he was sleeping." Rory said.

"Well, I'm glad you're home. What brings you home on this random weekend?" Lorelai asked as she stood up and walked over to the coffee pot and poured two cups of coffee.

"I wanted to spend some time with my baby brother." Rory said and smiled. "And I wanted to bring Logan for a visit too." She admitted as Logan walked into the living room and set their bags down on the floor.

"Hey Lorelai" He waved and joined them in the kitchen.

"Hey Logan. Well, this certainly is a surprise." Lorelai said and nodded.

"Is everything ok Mom, you seem a little distracted."

"Me? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. We just had a major life changing event happen this afternoon and we're all a little shaken up." Lorelai said vaguely.

"Oh? Care to share a little more information than that?" Rory asked.

Lorelai sat at the kitchen table and motioned for Logan and Rory to join her before taking a deep breath. "Luke has a kid."

"Yeah, so? Oh my gosh! Are you pregnant?" Rory asked.

"No." Lorelai clarified. "Luke has another kid…A young man…with Rachel."

Rory and Logan just looked at Lorelai with their mouths open and Rory shook her head.

"And a daughter. They have a daughter too." Lorelai added, confusing Rory even more.

"What? Did he know he had two kids?" Rory asked.

"Twins" Lorelai whispered. "They're twenty years old Rory. Luke just found out about them today."

"I don't even know what to say" Rory chocked out. "How? Why didn't Rachel say anything?"

"The boy came by the diner today. Turns out Rachel just told him who his father was. So, Rachel apparently didn't want anyone to know. They were born just after she finished high school and moved to New York."

"And she thought it would be best to just not say anything to Luke?" Rory asked again. "Is he sure they're even his kids? Do they want money?"

"I don't know. The boy, or young man, didn't say he did. He said he just wanted to meet Luke and thought Luke deserved to know." Lorelai recalled. "He also looked like Luke. It was kind of odd. Not exactly like him, but you could see Luke's features in his face."

"How does Luke feel about this?" Rory questioned.

"He's lying down upstairs right now. I think he's a little overwhelmed to be honest. I think he's still trying to take it in."

"How are you doing?"

"I'm a little overwhelmed and shocked. My mind is going a million miles a minute." Lorelai admitted. "I can hardly believe this is happening. I never thought this would happen. I'm also a little sad. It made me really happy to think that Will was Luke's first child and both of ours first son. It was special, but now that's not true anymore. Luke has a son and a daughter with someone else. It hurts a little. I'm not even sure how this is going to affect our marriage or even Will. Are these kids going to be a part of our lives or will they just want to talk to Luke? Is Luke going to be gone all the time visiting them? I don't know that I want Luke to be gone all the time, especially since Will is so young. He needs his Dad. On the other hand, these kids probably need a Dad too. I'm just too confused and stressed and-"

"Mom" Rory interrupted her and placed her hand over Lorelai's. "Calm down a little. You just found out, so of course you're both completely overwhelmed. This is a big deal and I'm sure Luke is thinking about the same things you are. You can't freak out though. You have to calm down a little bit. Take a deep breath."

Lorelai did as Rory said and inhaled sharply before slowly letting her breath out. Just as she was about to speak Will began to cry.

"I've got him." Rory quick offered and went into her old bedroom, which was now her baby brother's.

Logan was at a loss for words so he covered Lorelai's hand with his own and smiled softly at her. "I guess we picked a bad weekend for a surprise visit." He joked and shook his head.

"No, I think you picked right. Looks like this is the weekend of surprises." Lorelai joked back. "I really hope you're the last one though. Not sure I can take much else."

"So, Luke's kids are here? Are they still in town?"

"No, it's just the boy and yes he's still here. Luke insisted that he stay in the apartment above the diner for the night." Lorelai explained. "Sorry to leave you alone Logan, but I'm going to go upstairs and check up on Luke."

"Go ahead." Logan said and stood up from the table as Lorelai left the kitchen and went upstairs. Logan casually walked into Will's room and found Rory finishing changing Will's diaper. Logan rubbed her back slowly as he stood next to her and smiled at her brother. "He's pretty cute." Logan admitted.

"Yeah, not bad looking." Rory joked as she gently lifted Will off the changing table and held him against her shoulder.

"You're a pro Ace." Logan complimented her as he stood back and observed her.

"Yeah well, just don't be getting any crazy ideas about wanting one. I'm fine with taking care of him on occasion, but so am not ready to do this full time. It's a lot of work." Rory said.

"Well, you look like a natural." Logan said and shrugged his shoulders.

"You want to hold him?"

"Uh…."

"Come on. Come sit down in the living room and you can hold him a while." Rory insisted.

Upstairs, Lorelai sat quietly next to Luke as he sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands.

"Luke" She whispered. "Are you feeling ok?"

"Not really." Luke admitted quietly. "I've got a headache and my chest has this tight feeling."

"Ok, well I think you should lie down for a few minutes. Here, take your hat and your shoes off." Lorelai said before removing his hat and sitting on the floor to help take his boots off. Luke seemed completely numb and followed along as Lorelai helped him into bed and pulled the covers up to his chest. She quickly went into the bathroom and brought him a glass of water and a cool wash cloth. "You're really tense babe" She said as she slipped into bed next to him. "I know you've got a lot going on in your brain, but you need to relax a little bit, please. All that tension isn't good for you."

Luke simply nodded and put his arm around her to pull her closer. They both quickly drifted off to sleep until a crying Will woke them up.

"I'm so sorry" Rory apologized as she tried to calm her crying brother. "I think he's hungry. I really hate to wake you guys, but you're the only one who can take care of this Mom. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it Rory." Lorelai said and yawned as she sat up in bed and began to unbutton her blouse. Rory quickly handed her brother over and left the room before Will began to eat.

"Is Rory still freaked out by breast feeding?" Luke asked.

"Yes." Lorelai answered and smiled at him. "I'm surprised you're not still freaked out by it."

"You're my wife and he's my son. That doesn't freak me out. It's other people doing it in public that's weird." Luke nodded.

"You feel a little better?"

"Yeah, a little. My chest doesn't hurt anymore, but I've still got a headache." Luke answered. "Do we have any aspirin in the bathroom?"

"I think so."

Luke returned with two pills in his hand and took them while reaching for the glass of water on the nightstand. He drank it and then got back into bed as Lorelai was finishing feeding Will. Luke looked at the baby before Lorelai handed him over and Luke began to slowly burp him over his shoulder.

"Hey Luke?" Lorelai quietly asked.

"Yeah?"

"Does this change anything?"

"What do you mean?"

"I was thinking about you, me, and Will. Does you having two other kids change of this?" Lorelai wondered.

"Of course not Lorelai. We're a family and we're always going to be." Luke insisted. "I guess Will isn't my first son, but he is my first baby. I get to be here from the very beginning and see him grow up. We get to do this together."

"Ok, good." Lorelai agreed.

"Look, I'm not sure what the hell is going on with David and Rebecca. I don't know what's going to happen in the future. I feel like I should get to know them since they are my kids, but I don't want that to get in the way of what we have. I have no idea how the heck this is all going to work at this point."

"I know. It's a lot to take in and figure out. Just promise that you'll talk to me and let me know what's going on."

"Promise" Luke said and leaned over to kiss her.

XXXXX

"So, he's coming over for dinner?" Rory asked Luke as they both prepared dinner in the kitchen.

"Yes, and his name is David." Luke answered.

"David Danes"

"Adams. David Adams. Rachel's last name." Luke corrected her.

"Oh, ok. What about his sister?"

"Her name is Rebecca and she's not here. I actually don't know where she lives. David lives in New York and goes to Columbia. I don't know about Rebecca."

"Columbia. Impressive. Must be a smart guy." Rory said as there was a knock on the front door. She quickly wiped her hands on a dish towel and went to answer it as Lorelai came down the stairs and joined her at the front door. Rory opened the door and smiled when she saw David. "Hi, I'm Rory Gilmore." She said and shook his hand.

"David Adams." He said and stepped into the foyer.

"I'm Lorelai's daughter and Luke's step-daughter." She explained while Lorelai took David's coat.

"Nice to meet you Rory."

"Oh, this is my boyfriend, Logan Huntzberger." Rory explained as she led David into the kitchen. Logan and David shook hands and nodded before following her.

"Hey David. I hope you like spaghetti." Luke said from where he stood by the stove.

"Hey Luke. Yeah, spaghetti is fine. Anything I can do to help?" David asked as he stood awkwardly by the table.

"Just finishing up here. Go ahead and take a seat." Luke instructed. A few minutes later, the family was gathered around the table enjoying Luke's spaghetti. David seemed to be trying to come up with something to say, but couldn't seem to get the words out. Rory picked up on the situation and decided to jump in and save him.

"David, Luke said that you're going to Columbia?" Rory asked.

"Yeah. I'm a sophomore studying Political Science." He answered.

"Impressive." Rory nodded. "Luke mentioned you have a sister. Is she going to Columbia too?"

"No. Rebecca is going to Florida State University and studying nursing. She could have gone to any university in the country, but she wanted to stay close to our Grandparents. She's really close to them and likes to stick around the same area as them." David explained.

"That's nice. Family's important." Luke nodded.

"I guess." David shrugged. "Rebecca and I are really close and I guess I'm pretty close to our Grandparents too, but not really with our Mom. I mean, we love her and all, but she's always gone and just wasn't a major part of our lives growing up."

"That must have been hard." Lorelai said.

"We got by." David said and hoped he wouldn't have to explain further. The only person he talked to about his Mom was Rebecca.

The group sat in silence for a while until everyone was finished with dinner. Rory and Logan insisted on cleaning up and quickly kicked everyone else out of the kitchen.

David crossed his arms and walked around the living room looking at all the pictures of various family members that had been framed. "So, you have a baby." He said to Luke as he sat in a chair next to the couch where Luke and Lorelai sat.

"Yeah, William. He's named after my Dad, your Grandpa." Luke explained. "He passed right after I finished high school. He had a hardware store and I turned it into a diner."

"Hmmm. Sounds interesting." David noted.

"I guess." Luke shrugged.

Lorelai shook her head and smiled at the exchange. "Well, looks like you've got a common method of communication. Must be related." Neither said anything, but grunted in response.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hi Everyone! First of all, I'm so sorry that it's taken me this long to update Luke's Surprise. All I can say is that I've had a lot of writers block and have been consumed by the other story I'm writing (Coffee and Regrets). Second of all, it might be good to go back and skim the first two chapters to get back into this story. And lastly, I want to warn you all that Luke is going to seem really out of character as this story goes forward (please don't throw rocks at me). **

**Without further ado…**

The rest of the weekend went as smoothly as could be expected. David and Luke talked a bit and seemed to be getting to know each other. They exchanged contact information before David left to go back to New York on Sunday night.

As the weeks drew on, Luke made a couple trips to New York to visit David. He and Lorelai both agreed that it was important for Luke to get to know David. However, Lorelai hoped that Luke wouldn't forget that he had a family in Stars Hollow that needed him just as much as David did. After several unanswered phone calls, Luke was finally able to talk to Rebecca on the phone. Luke planned a trip to visit Rebecca and hopefully begin a relationship with her.

Lorelai was torn about Luke's trip. She understood that Luke should get to know his kids, but she didn't want him to be gone for too long. She had been feeling sick for a few days and taking care of Will on her own was becoming a bit overwhelming. Luke assured Lorelai that he wouldn't be gone for too long and that everything would be fine.

XXXXX

Rory walked into Luke and Lorelai's house, dragging a duffle bag, and stopped in the foyer. She knew something was wrong. Will was screaming in his room as Lorelai attempted to sooth him. Rory slowly walked into the kitchen and stood in the doorway to her brother's room.

"Mom?" Rory said cautiously as she leaned inside the doorway. The baby's room was a complete disaster and Lorelai looked like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"Rory!" Lorelai exclaimed and quickly hugged her. "Thank God you're here. Can you give me a hand around the house or do you have a ton of homework?"

"I just have a little to do, but I mainly came back to help you out. You sounded overwhelmed on the phone." Rory said and smiled at her little brother.

"Well, I'm doing everything by myself so I could use an extra hand." Lorelai explained. "Luke still isn't back yet and I'm quickly falling behind on keep the house going and taking care of Will. Plus, I've been sick and this crazy fatigue aren't helping." Lorelai sighed. She really needed to go to the doctor, but just hadn't had time.

"I'm sorry Mom. I still can't believe Luke isn't back. It's been almost three weeks!"

"I know. He just keeps saying that he needs more time. He spent the first week in New York with David and now he's in Florida with Rebecca." Lorelai said. "I guess he's having a hard time spending time with her because she keeps making excuses and saying she's busy."

"That sucks." Rory agreed. "However, I think it's time he gets back here. I mean, she's an adult and he can talk to her on the phone or video conference. You have a baby and are sick; I think that requires more of his attention."

"I agree." Lorelai said and quickly handed Will to Rory before running to the bathroom.

"Hi baby brother." Rory said as he continued to cry while she gently bounced up and down. "Are you hungry or need a diaper change? Do you just miss your Daddy? I wish you could talk so I could give you what you want." Rory said and frowned as he cried. She took him over to the changing table and checked his diaper before determining that it had just been changed. "Ok, hmmm….Let's try a bottle." She said and walked into the kitchen. As she was getting the bottle ready, Lorelai walked out of bathroom and into the kitchen before collapsing at the kitchen table.

"I was just about to try the bottle when you came." Lorelai explained.

"No worries. Just sit and relax. You look kind of pale. When was the last time you had anything to eat?"

Lorelai had to think to a minute before answering, "Last night. I ordered a pizza for dinner."

"Ok, you need something. I'm calling Sookie to see if she can send something healthy over." Rory said and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. A minute later, Sookie was on her way and Will had stopped crying while Rory fed him. After his feeding, Rory took Will and placed him in his crib and quietly shut the door. She turned around to notice her Mom had fallen asleep with her head on the kitchen table. Rory thought about waking her up just so she could go upstairs, but her Mom seemed so exhausted that she just left her for the moment.

Sookie entered the house without knocking and carried a ton of food into the kitchen. She quickly heated up a bowl of soup and set it on the table before Rory woke Lorelai up. Lorelai ate the soup slowly as Sookie sat at the table and talked with her while Rory began to clean up the house. Sookie ushered Lorelai up the stairs and tucked her into bed before saying goodbye to Rory and leaving.

As Rory finished cleaning up the living room, she threw a decorative pillow on the couch in frustration. She was beyond fed up with Luke. Sure, he needed to spend time with his kids, but they were adults and didn't seem too eager to have him involved anyway. Rory felt like he was abandoning her Mom and that just made her angry. She talked to Logan about it last night and he agreed that Luke should be home with Lorelai. Rory decided that if Luke wasn't going to be around to help take care of his family that she was going to step up and do it. Logan had been very supportive of her decision and suggested that she stay in Stars Hollow after school got out for the summer. He even offered to come by on the weekends and help out even though he admittedly knew nothing about kids.

Will began to cry again and Rory quickly went into his room and held him tightly. "You're not sleeping very much Will. Are you ok?" She frowned and rubbed his back slowly. She felt his forehead and he didn't have a fever. His diaper was still clean and he'd just had a bottle, so Rory wasn't sure what he was crying about. Rory sighed and sat down in the rocking chair while continuing to cuddle with her baby brother. The rocking motion and Rory's calm demeanor seemed to calm Will down enough for him to fall asleep. Before Rory knew it, she was also asleep in the chair.

About an hour later, Lorelai tiptoed down the stairs and smiled at the sight of Rory and Will sleeping in the rocking chair. If a stranger had walked it they would have assumed Rory was Will's Mother by the way she was lovingly holding him. Rory still wasn't completely comfortable with him, but she seemed to be getting less freaked out as time went on.

Lorelai was so grateful for Rory's help, especially now that Luke was gone. She tried not to think about Luke too much because it made her upset and she just couldn't deal with it right now. The sickness she was experiencing really irritated her and she hoped she could shake it, but her mind told her that it wasn't really a sickness caused by a virus or bacteria. Her mind told her what she hoped wasn't true; that she was pregnant. She put her hand over her stomach at the thought of having another baby and tried not to let the storm of emotions within her come to the surface. Lorelai felt like a complete mess and had a hard time sorting it all out. When Rory was little, everything seemed to be just fine, but now the thought of being a single parent again terrified Lorelai. Sure, Luke wasn't gone forever, but he wasn't exactly jumping at the chance to come home and Lorelai couldn't help but doubt it would be any time soon. Part of the reason Lorelai was so nervous about being a single parent was that she was several decades older now and another part was that she had planned to have Luke in her life and be there to raise their family together.

Lorelai shook her head and banished the tears from her eyes as she continued to look at her two children sleeping peacefully. Maybe Luke would come home next week and everything would be back to normal, she thought to herself. She loved Luke and knew he wasn't the kind of man that would abandon his family, but she also knew that he was confused and trying to sort everything out in his head. She also couldn't help but blame Rachel for the situation she was in now. It may have been a little irrational, but Rachel wasn't here to defend herself, so Lorelai felt justified in blaming her. If Rachel had just told Luke about David and Rebecca, he could have sorted it all out years ago and wouldn't be doing it now when he should be with Lorelai.

Lorelai sighed and walked over to the refrigerator to see if Sookie had left anything to snack on. To her delight, she found some grapes and quickly popped one in her mouth. Normally, she would have never liked fruit of any kind, but pregnancy gave her a weird craving for fruit of all kinds; another sign that her intuition was right about the cause of her illness.

Will started fussing in his room and Lorelai turned to attend to him, but Rory had already woken up and started soothing him.

"Hey, you want a hand?" Lorelai asked as she leaned against the door frame to Will's room.

"I think I've got it." Rory said as she awkwardly shifted him in her arms. "Is he always this fussy? He seems to cry a lot."

"I remember a certain someone crying that much when she was a baby." Lorelai smiled. "I think Will's just upset over the situation, but can't express it the way the rest of us can. Luke was always really good at calming Will down whenever he got like that."

"Luke better get his ass back here soon then." Rory sighed.

"Little ears" Lorelai said and walked over to cover Will's ears. "Your sister said a bad word." She joked.

"He doesn't understand yet." Rory rolled her eyes.

"Let's keep it that way." Lorelai smiled. "Thanks for being here kiddo."

"You're welcome Mom. I'm happy to help." Rory smiled and then cringed as Will spit up into her hair. "Gross" Rory frowned as Lorelai giggled.

"Sorry hun, but he does that sometimes."

Rory handed Will back to her Mom before going to clean her hair. When she returned she smiled at the scene of her Mom gently rocking Will in the rocking chair.

"Hey Mom?" Rory asked while putting her hands on her hips.

"Yeah?"

"Why haven't you gone to the doctor?"

"I haven't had time." Lorelai lied.

"Really? Because I'm sure Sookie could have watched Will or you could have just taken him with you to the doctor." Rory said. "Unless…you have an idea of what's wrong, but you want to ignore it."

"Rory, I think I'm pregnant." Lorelai sighed.

"Oh Mom." Rory sighed and hung her head. "I don't know what to say. Are you happy?"

"I don't know." Lorelai said honestly. "It's completely unexpected. Luke and I weren't planning on having another baby for a couple of years. This is so soon after Will and I feel like the timing is really bad. Why does everything have to happen at the same time?"

"I'm sorry Mom." Rory said before kneeling down next to her Mom and hugging her and Will tightly. "Whatever happens, I'm going to be here to take care of you and Will. You don't have to worry."

"Thanks sweetie." Lorelai said before begging to sob as Rory slowly stroked her hair.

**AN: So, what did you think? Should I continue or scrap this story? Please leave a review and tell me what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Once again I have to apologize for the long delay in updating. I never thought I'd be one of those authors who lets months go by without an update. I'm working on changing that, but life is busy right now. Here's the next chapter of the story. I hope you enjoy it! Please leave a review and let me know what you think!**

XXXXX

Luke sighed and sat down on his hotel room bed. He had just come from a coffee shop where he'd waited two hours for his daughter, Rebecca, to show up. Luke finally gave up hope that she was going to show up and drove back to his hotel. This wasn't the first time Rebecca had stood him up and he assumed that it wouldn't be the last. It was beginning to get really frustrating that she didn't seem to want anything to do with him. Of course they didn't know each other, but Luke figured they owed it to each other to at least meet and have a conversation.

Luke opened his laptop computer and got on the internet. Lorelai had recently set up a Facebook account for him and Luke was still trying to figure it all out, but now he was thankful that he was able to stay in contact with David that way. He tried to connect with Rebecca, but she was ignoring him. However, Luke had seen several pictures of her on David's profile and was completely in awe of how beautiful and confident she looked. He logged in and clicked on David's profile to look at the pictures of his kids again. David looked a lot like him, which Luke was still getting used to. Heck, he was still getting used to the idea that he had two kids who were adults, let alone that his Son looked like him. Rebecca looked a lot like Rachel and had her hair, but Luke was shocked to see that Rebecca had his Mom's eyes.

Luke suddenly noticed a little red notification alerting him to some sort of activity on his own Facebook page. He clicked on it and was directed to a comment Lorelai recently left on his wall. "Love you. Miss you." Was all it said. Luke sighed. Lorelai's message seemed so distant and lonely, but he still wasn't ready to go back to Stars Hollow. He kept telling himself that everything was fine in Stars Hollow and that Lorelai was managing on her own with Will. Luke would be back just as soon as he talked with Rebecca. He hated the idea of leaving without being successful and had just assumed that his family in Stars Hollow would be fine. However, he was starting to wonder if everything was as ok as Lorelai had said it was the last time they talked.

_Maybe I should just go home_. Luke thought. He knew he needed to get back, but he just couldn't ignore the feeling that Rebecca might change her mind and talk to him. Luke thought about it for a few more minutes while he looked at the computer before coming up with an idea. He decided that he'd go talk to Rebecca and David's Grandparents and see if they would be willing to help him. They seemed to be pretty close to the kids, so maybe Luke would have a shot. He quickly navigated back to David's Facebook page and sent him a message asking for his Grandparents' address and explaining his idea. _Hopefully that will help_, Luke thought. He sighed and shut the computer down before looking at the clock and pulling out his cell phone. It was a little late, but he hoped to catch Lorelai before she went to bed.

"Hello?" Rory asked as she answered the phone quickly.

"Hey…Rory, is your Mom around?" Luke asked.

"She's here, but she went to bed about an hour ago. I can wake her if you want."

"No, that's ok Rory. Could you please tell her I called?"

"Sure Luke. I'll write her a note and stick it on her bathroom mirror. Maybe she can give you a call before she heads to work tomorrow."

"Thanks, Rory. I appreciate it. How are things going around there? How is Will?"

"Will is doing pretty well. He hasn't been as fussy lately, so that's been really helpful for Mom."

"It sounds like you've been spending a lot of time helping your Mom out. I'm sure she really appreciates it." Luke said.

"You're welcome, I guess." Rory answered and bit her tongue. She wanted to tell Luke that he needed to get back home and take care of his responsibilities, but it seemed like a lost cause. "Will misses you. Mom does too."

"I miss them." Luke sighed.

"Does that mean you're coming home soon?" Rory asked hopefully.

Luke sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. I want to, but I'm still trying to get in contact with Rebecca. I don't want to leave until I see her and talk to her."

"I get that Luke, but don't you think she's made it clear that she doesn't want to talk to you. You've been there for long enough."

"I can't just give up on her, Rory. She's my daughter and I want a relationship with her. It's not like a walked out on her. I didn't know about her. I do now and I want to be part of her life."

Luke's words stung a bit as Rory heard them. Her Dad had walked out on her several times and it always felt horrible. Luke was like a second, more dependable, Dad that Rory had loved for years. Now it hurt her a little to see how dedicated he was to his own daughter. Rory wasn't his little girl anymore. She hadn't been for years since she was an adult now, but the thought entered her mind that maybe she had never been his little girl and it was all just a dream. "I understand, Luke. You need to try and take care of your family." Rory said with a lump in her throat. "Just try to come home as soon as you can, ok?"

"I will." Luke agreed.

"Ok, I'll let Mom know you called. Bye Luke."

"Thanks, Bye Rory." Luke said and ended the call. He sighed as he put the phone on the bedside table. Rory seemed more upset about his absence that he ever imagined. He frowned and turned the laptop back on to see if David had responded to his earlier message.

As Luke logged back into Facebook, he saw that David had already responded.

_Hey Luke, you can certainly stop by my Grandparents' place if you want. Don't be too pushy though. If they don't want to help then just leave it alone. I'll text you the address of their house after I give them a call and let them know you are coming. I'll also give Rebecca another call, but I don't know how much good it will do. She's pretty stubborn sometimes. _

_Let me know when you're back up north, we'll grab a bite to eat or something._

_Take care,_

_David_

Luke smiled and hoped David's efforts would pay off. He quickly wrote back to David and thanked him for his help. He finished with the computer and shut it down before getting ready for bed. He stripped down to his boxers, brushed his teeth, and shut the lights off before climbing into bed for the night. Sleep came slowly, but Luke eventually drifted off into a deep sleep.

XXXXX

"Rory!" Logan called from his spot on the couch. He was holding a crying Will very carefully in his arms. "Rory! What do I do when he cries?"

Rory smirked before shrugging as she walked down the stairs. "I don't really know. He's probably hungry, so let's try that first." She said and walked into the kitchen to get milk for Will. Rory returned a minute later and frowned when she saw Logan putting a coat on Will. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I thought he was still on that whole breastfeeding thing. Your Mom is at the Inn, so don't we have to go to her in order to get him food?"

"Yes, Mom is still breastfeeding." Rory nodded. "She pumped some milk so we can feed him out of the bottle."

"Pumped?" Logan frowned before shaking his head. "Never mind. I totally don't want to know how that works." He insisted before taking Will's coat off and the bottle from Rory. He carefully cradled Will before sticking the bottle in his mouth.

Rory watched Logan for a minute before sitting down next to him. "You look like a natural at that."

"Really? Maybe I'll have to try it for real sometime." Logan joked. "The Dad gig might be kinda cool."

"You'd probably be pretty good at it." Rory agreed.

"Really? You think so Ace?" Logan smirked.

"Yeah. I mean, you're doing really well with Will and you're not even related to him. I'm sure you'd do really well with your own kid."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Logan nodded. "Maybe we'll have to have one of our own at some point."

"Maybe at some point." Rory said hesitantly.

"Oh, definitely not now." Logan clarified. "I just meant that maybe someday in the future it might be a good idea. Someday when we are both settled in our careers and have been married a while."

"Well, it's certainly something to consider." Rory agreed. "Sorry, it's just hard for me to think about that with everything that's going on with my Mom."

"It's ok. Like I said, it's just an idea that may be good in the future." Logan said. "By the way, how is your Mom? Is she dealing ok with the pregnancy?"

"I think she's still in shock." Rory explained. "It's just bad timing is all. I'm sure she'll get excited about it eventually."

"It must be really hard." Logan agreed. "Her husband is gone, she has a baby, a growing business, and to top it all off she's pregnant again."

"Yeah, exactly." Rory nodded. "Logan, I feel like I really want to be here and help Mom with everything. I know I certainly can't take Luke's place, but I can help keep the house clean and take care of Will so she won't be so exhausted."

"I think that's a great idea Ace. I know I'm not always the most sensitive or caring, but I really admire you for stepping up like this. In fact, I'd like to help too. I don't know how much help I'll be, but I can go to the grocery stores, cook, do some yard work."

"Thanks Logan. Anything we can do will be a big help. So we're a team on this?"

"Yup." Logan nodded before taking the bottle out of Will's mouth as he finished eating. "You want to burp him?"

"Oh yeah, offer me the gross job." Rory snickered. "I'll pass, but thanks."

"Hey, you just said we were a team." Logan laughed, earning a sudden and unexpected giggle from Will. "You think that's funny?" He smiled at the baby as he held him out in front of himself. "You think it's funny that your sister is making me do all the work?"

Rory smiled at how well Logan was doing with Will and reached over to tickle the giggling baby. "He's definitely related to me."

Without warning, Will spit up directly onto Logan's face causing Logan to groan. "Gross" Logan said and closed his eyes.

"Will, don't do that to Logan." Rory said playfully as she took Will from Logan and grabbed a small towel from the coffee table. She helped Logan clean off his face before leaning over and kissing him. "Thanks for putting up with us."

"Anytime, Ace" Logan smiled.

"Honey, I'm home!" Lorelai called as she walked in through the front door. "Hey, you guys look cute." She noted as she saw the three of them sitting on the couch in the living room. "Hi, Baby" She said before bending over to kiss Will. "Hi, daughter and daughter's boyfriend." She said as she stood back up.

"Hi, Lorelai. How was work?" Logan asked.

"Good, busy, but good." Lorelai answered. "How was Will today? I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

"He was good." Rory said. "You just missed him spitting up on Logan, but other than that we had a pretty low key day."

"Good." Lorelai nodded. "I hate to do this to you, but do you guys mind watching Will for a bit longer? I'm exhausted and would love to take a nap for an hour or so."

"No problem at all." Logan quickly assured her. "We'll have dinner ready when you wake up."

"Thanks." Lorelai smiled before going upstairs.

"Did you just volunteer to cook dinner?" Rory asked Logan.

"Yeah, it's no big deal. I'll just see what your Mom has in the kitchen and make something simple." Logan shrugged before going into the kitchen.

"What do you think Logan will find in there?" Rory playfully asked Will. "Probably not much."

"Hey, Ace? We have a problem." Logan called from the kitchen. "There is no food in here."

"Told you." Rory whispered to Will.

"I guess I'll go to the grocery store and pick up a few things." Logan said as he put his coat on and walked to the front door. "You want anything special besides coffee?"

"I'm good, but Mom would probably like some of that triple chocolate ice cream."

"Ok, I'll be back shortly." Logan nodded and left.

"Logan is silly." Rory whispered to her baby brother. "But we love him anyways."

About an hour later Logan and Rory were just finishing making dinner in the kitchen when Lorelai wandered downstairs wearing jeans and an old sweatshirt.

"Good timing." Rory smiled and handed her Mom a glass of sparkling cider.

"What's the occasion?"

"Nothing, just celebrating the fact that Logan made us a wonderful dinner." Rory smiled before toasting her Mom with a glass of wine. "Sorry, but we couldn't think of the non-alcoholic version of wine, so you got sparkling cider."

"It's good." Lorelai said as finished her sip. "Better than being stuck with water. How's Will."

"Sleeping in his room." Rory smiled.

"Ok, have a seat because dinner is served." Logan smirked as he set a plate of chicken on the table.

"Wow, this looks really good." Lorelai said as she looked at everything Logan had prepared.

"You feeling a bit more rested?" Rory asked as she and Logan joined Lorelai at the table.

"A little. This whole pregnancy thing is incredibly exhausting." Lorelai said and slumped her shoulders as she turned to Rory. "Do not get pregnant any time soon. You don't have time for it."

"I'm not planning on it." Rory said and shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

"What? Did I hit a nerve or something?" Lorelai frowned.

"No, it's just that Logan was talking about babies earlier and now you are. It just makes me a little uncomfortable."

"Well, you better be making sure you're not having babies any time soon or you'll be a heck of a lot more uncomfortable." Lorelai joked.

"It's definitely not in our plans." Logan said and tried to take the spotlight off of Rory. "I was just saying that Will was cute and it might be fun to have a little guy of our own someday way in the future."

"Little _guy_?" Rory frowned.

"Or gal." Logan corrected himself.

"Good, because I don't think you get to pick." Rory nodded.

"Look at you two. Squabbling over kids already." Lorelai joked. "But in all seriousness…I'm not ready to be a Grandma yet, so wait a couple years, ok? At least wait until you're out of school."

"I think we're all on the same page there." Rory nodded. "Ok, let's eat. I don't want to discuss babies anymore."

Everyone laughed and dove into the food as they continued to joke around and enjoy each other's company. Lorelai seemed fairly happy to have some sense of normalcy around the house again. She hated placing some of her own responsibilities on Rory, but this time Lorelai had to accept help. Will seemed to be adjusting to having a routine again also. The only thing that was missing was Luke. Lorelai knew he wanted to get to know David and Rebecca, but she had a sinking feeling that this whole thing was not going to end well.


	5. Chapter 5

Luke walked up the walkway to David and Rachel's Grandparents' house. He hesitated for a moment before ringing the doorbell. His heart began to beat faster as he heard footsteps approaching. Luke thought about bolting away at the last minute, but he knew this was his last chance to find a way to talk to Rebecca. The door flew open and he was completely caught off guard by who he saw.

"Rachel" Luke gasped.

"Hi, Luke." Rachel said casually. "Would you like to come in?"

"Sure" Luke hesitated before stepping inside the house and following Rachel to the living room. "I'm a little surprised to see you here, Rachel. I thought this was your parents' place."

"It is. I stay here when I'm in town. My parents said that David called last night and said you would be dropping by. "I thought maybe we should chat first."

"Ok" Luke nodded.

"So, you've met David already." Rachel nodded.

"Yes" Luke nodded again. "He's a great guy."

"He really is. I see a lot of you in him." Rachel noted.

"Sorry, but can you cut the crap, Rachel." Luke frowned. "What do you really want to talk about?"

"I want to talk about our kids." Rachel said and sat back in her chair.

"Like how you didn't tell me about them." Luke said very seriously.

"You have to understand where I was coming from and what my reasoning was." Rachel tried to explain.

"There is no excuse for that, Rachel." Luke cut her off. "I understand that you probably didn't want to have kids right out of high school, or even ever, but you did. You should have at least wrote me a letter and let me know they existed."

"You don't understand how hard that would have been."

"It's not hard!" Luke shouted. "You just write it down and put it in the mail!"

"It would have been too hard because you would have wanted to be involved." Rachel admitted.

"What?"

"I knew you too well. You would have wanted to get married and be a traditional family."

"What's so wrong with that?"

"You would have insisted that we do it that way." Rachel sighed. "I didn't want to get married. I didn't want to put a burden on you."

"It wouldn't have been a burden to take care of the kids or be with you." Luke frowned. "You don't think I deserved to know about David and Rebecca?"

"You did. That's why I came to Stars Hollow years ago. I was going to tell you about them, but then I saw how crazy you were about Lorelai and I couldn't ruin that."

"That makes no sense. You didn't tell me about my own children because you saw that I had a crush on a girl? How childish can you be?" Luke fumed.

"No, I saw that you had a crush on your dream girl and that she was pretty infatuated with you too. I saw that you were about to have the whole package with her and I didn't want to ruin it. I knew that if I told you about David and Rebecca then and there that you would never get together with Lorelai. I didn't want to stop you from getting married and having a family." Rachel admitted. "Was I right? Did you get married and have a family."

"Yes, we did. We have a baby boy, Will."

"Your Dad would be really proud and happy for you, Luke."

"You're changing the subject. That still doesn't justify why you kept my children from me. It's a huge loss that I didn't know them growing up. They're twenty years old and I just met David for the first time! I never held them as babies, saw them learn how to walk, their first day of kindergarten, elementary school plays, see if they had an awkward junior high phase, see them graduate from high school. I never got to be by their side and give them fatherly advice or comfort them when they were hurting." Luke explained with anger in his voice. "I'm so pissed that you robbed me of that."

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but you have to understand that I did it with the best intentions."

"You must be living in some alternate reality if you think keeping me from my children is what's best for me." Luke frowned.

"Luke" Rachel sighed. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"But you did."

"I'm sorry." Rachel said sincerely. "What can I do to make this right?"

"I don't know that you can ever make it right, Rachel." Luke sighed. "I have a lot of work to do to build a relationship with David and Rebecca. Hell, Rebecca won't even talk to me! She wants nothing to do with me because I was never there for her. I'm upset that I have to get to know them as adults. I would have never known them at all if it was up to you."

"I thought it was for the best."

"For who? Certainly not for me or for David and Rebecca. You were being selfish and only thinking of yourself." Luke said and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fine. You're right, Luke. I'm the bad guy and I take all the blame for everything." Rachel said and threw her arms up in the air. "I screwed up, ok? I was eighteen years old and I made the decision to raise the twins on my own. I didn't want to be stuck in Stars Hollow for the rest of my life. I wanted to get out and explore the world. Maybe I made the wrong choice then, but I don't regret it now. My life wouldn't have been the same."

"That's great that your life has been a dream, but now mine is turned upside down. I just don't think that you understand how this is affecting me. It's affecting my marriage to Lorelai too."

"I have no control over how this affects your marriage. One of the reasons I didn't tell you was because I didn't want to spoil what you had going with Lorelai. I can't do anything about that, Luke." Rachel sighed.

"I know you can't." Luke sighed. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just frustrated that I'm not there with her and Will."

"So go back home to them."

"I can't until I talk to Rebecca. I came all this way and I have to see her. I can't just give up."

Rachel nodded in understanding and thought for a moment before answering. "I might be able to help you. I could give her a call and set up a meeting or something."

"I'd appreciate that."

"Ok, I'll get right on it." Rachel said and stood up before going into the kitchen to find her cell phone. She came back into the living room a few minutes later and smiled at Luke. "Rebecca said she'd meet me for breakfast tomorrow morning. How about you join us?"

"That sounds good. Are you sure Rebecca will be ok with that?"

"She'll probably be pretty irritated with me, but don't worry about that. You want to meet her, so come and meet her. We'll deal with the consequences later. Worst thing that could happen is that she storms out of the restaurant." Rachel shrugged.

"Ok, we'll give it a shot." Luke agreed before standing up and walking toward the front door. "Thanks for talking to me, Rachel."

"No problem, Luke." Rachel said and opened the door before he waved and walked away.

XXXXX

"So, I just talked to your Mom." Luke said as David answered the phone.

"Oh geez, what did she say?" David sighed. "Did she try to come off as some amazing parent?"

"She said a lot of things." Luke sighed.

"Well, half of it probably isn't true." David quickly explained. "For some reason she forgets that our Grandparents raised me and Rebecca while she was traveling for work. We only saw her a couple times a year. I love her, but she has an alternate view of reality."

"I sort of got that impression." Luke agreed. "The good thing is that I'm going to have breakfast with your sister tomorrow."

"Rebecca agreed to that?"

"Not exactly. Your Mom asked Rebecca to have breakfast with her tomorrow morning and she agreed."

"So Rebecca doesn't know that you're going to be there?" David asked.

"No"

"That should go over well." David scoffed.

"Yeah, I know it's probably not the best idea, but it's my only shot. Maybe if she sees me we could at least talk. I've tried everything, David. This is my last shot." Luke sighed.

"Well, good luck." David offered. "Give me a call if you need anything."

"Will do. Thanks David."

"Bye"

XXXXX

Lorelai sighed and slowly rested her head down on the desk as Rory slowly shut the door to Will's bedroom.

"He's out" Rory sighed and gently rubbed her Mom's back as she looked at the papers sprawled across the desk. "What is all of this?"

"The books for The Diner." Lorelai said and sat back up. "Luke usually does them or we do them together, but he's not here and it needs to be done. I just barely made payroll last week, so I need to see what's been happening there."

"Do they need some help? I could pitch in some time on the weekends, free of charge." Rory offered.

"I really appreciate the offer sweets, but I need your help here. Want to help me go over all this?"

"Uh, not really." Rory said honestly. "I can manage my own finances, but that's about it. I get so overwhelmed with business finances."

"I could teach you." Lorelai offered.

"Nope, sorry. I'll stick to my babysitting duties. How about I order a pizza for diner?"

"Now that you can do." Lorelai smiled. "I've been craving pizza all day."

"Speaking of craving, how are you feeling? How is the morning sickness?"

"Not too bad actually. I'm having crazy cravings though. I have a doctor's appointment on Monday morning. Do you think you could stay with Will or should I try to reschedule?"

"I have a class Monday morning, so I can't be here. I can call Logan and see if he's up for the challenge. He doesn't have anything until the afternoon, so I could get here to watch Will before Logan has to be back at school."

"Are you sure Logan would be willing to do that?"

"It's no trouble. Logan would never admit it to anyone, but he really likes Will and spending time with him. I think Logan's a little afraid of having to watch him alone all day, but he should be just fine for a couple hours." Rory explained. "Would you be comfortable with Logan watching Will?"

"I've seen Logan with Will, so yes, I'm totally fine with it. A couple months ago if you'd told me I'd be comfortable leaving my baby with Logan, I'd say you were nuts. Now, it's sounds just fine. Interesting how people can change."

"It certainly is." Rory agreed and picked up the phone to order the pizza. "Now get back to work, young lady."

"Yes, Mom." Lorelai nodded and looked back at the paperwork in front of her. A few minutes later Lorelai looked up and exclaimed, "I found it!"

"What?" Rory asked from her spot on the living room couch.

"No one has been depositing money into the Diner's bank account. Luke was making a deposit every afternoon, but now it's not getting done. I bet the safe is full of money that needs to be deposited. The books look good based on all the receipts I have. The Diner's making money, so the bank account should be reflecting that. Right now it's not because there haven't been any deposits in a while. I'm going to go there tomorrow and collect all the cash to make a deposit and that should fix everything."

"Good. I'm glad you were able to figure it out Ms. Businesswoman." Rory smiled. "Does that take away some of your stress?"

"A lot of it, yes. When I first looked at the bank statements I was freaked out because the account was so low. I didn't know how I was going to figure out what the issue was or how to run both the Diner and the Inn. Now, I can just do a little bit with the Diner and maybe even train Lane to help with some of it. It's really not that big of a deal." Lorelai explained.

"Good. You should reduce your stress as much as possible."

"I'm trying." Lorelai nodded. "You're helping out a lot, by the way. I really really appreciate it."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I can help."

**XXXX**

**AN: So, what did you think? I know it's short, but the next chapter will be packed. Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Luke fidgeted in his seat as he scanned the restaurant's breakfast menu before setting it down and looking at Rachel. "What is this place?" He whispered and looked around.

"It's organic and vegetarian." Rachel explained. "It also happens to be one of Rebecca's favorite places.

"She's a vegetarian?"

"Yup. Must take after you." Rachel smiled. "She's very health conscious and into the whole vegetarian yoga ting."

"huh" Luke smiled. "Good for her."

"Yeah" Rachel agreed. "It's not really my style, but I can do it for a meal here and there."

"You think she'll be upset?"

"I don't know, but we're about to find out." Rachel said as she looked out the window. "Rebecca is walking to the front door as we speak. Luke looked like he was about to pass out as Rebecca noticed Rachel and walked over to their table. Rachel stood up and quickly gave Rebecca a hug before turning to introduce Luke. "Rebecca, I want you to meet someone." She began as Luke stood up. "This is Luke Danes, your father."

"Oh" Rebecca said as her eyes grew wider. "You didn't say that he would be here." Rebecca frowned at Rachel. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't think you'd come." Rachel admitted. "Please give him a chance, hun. He just wants to get to know you."

"Please, Rebecca. I just want to talk. That's it. Please, just have breakfast with us." Luke begged.

"Ok, just breakfast." Rebecca agreed and sat down at the table.

Luke nodded and sat down as Rachel did too before they all picked up their menus. Luke caught himself paying more attention to Rebecca than the menu in front of him, but couldn't help stare at the beautiful woman who was his daughter. A waitress soon appeared and took their order before returning to the kitchen.

"So, Luke…" Rebecca said before drinking a sip of water. "Where should we start?"

"Wherever you want to." Luke shrugged.

"How about why you were never around for me growing up?"

"I didn't know you existed." Luke said. "If I'd know, believe me, I'd have been very involved in your life. I'm so sorry, Rebecca, but I didn't know."

"I thought you said you told him." Rebecca asked Rachel. "You said you told him years ago and he wasn't interested."

"What?" Luke frowned. "Why would you lie like that?"

"I never told you that." Rachel insisted. "I remember telling you that I saw your Dad, but I didn't tell him. I don't know where you got that mixed up."

"Why would you go see him, but not say anything? You're so unbelievable, Mom."

"Hey, calm down a bit, both of you." Luke said. "Regardless of what happened, I'm here now and I want to get to know you, Rebecca."

"Thanks, but I don't know, Luke." Rebecca sighed. "I've gone without a Dad my whole life. I'm an adult now, so it might be kind of weird."

"David seems to like it ok." Luke shrugged.

"David is very different than me." Rebecca pointed out. "I'm not really looking for a Dad."

"Ok, I think I can understand that. How about if we just focus on getting to know each other? Let's start by asking questions; you go first."

"You live in Stars Hollow, right? That's where you and Mom went to High School?"

"Yes."

"What do you do now?"

"I own a diner. It used to be my Dad's hardware store. He passed away and I turned it into a diner because I'm better at cooking than selling hammers." Luke shrugged. 

"Do you live alone or do you have a family?"

"I'm married. My wife and I have a baby boy, Will."

"So, you're just here for a short time and then you're back to your real family?" Rebecca asked.

"I don't really see it like that." Luke explained. "I was hoping we could talk on the phone or on the internet. I'd like to visit you as much as possible and have you come see me. It would be really great if you could meet my wife, Lorelai, and our Son. I'm sure you'd get along great with them."

"Maybe. Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Rebecca cautioned him. "How long are you here for?"

"I'm not really sure. As long as it takes to start a good relationship with you."

"Your wife doesn't mind that you're gone?"

"She's understanding and very capable of taking care of herself."

"Interesting." Rebecca nodded. The waitress quickly appeared with their food before retreating back into the kitchen.

"Yeah, well, it is what it is. Tell me a little about yourself. David said you're studying to be a nurse?"

"Yes, I am, at Florida State University. I'm almost halfway done."

"Good for you. Do you like it?"

"It's interesting." Rebecca said. "Nursing is a good career and allows me to help people in a tangible way."

"Certainly." Luke nodded. "I'm proud of you."

"What?"

"I'm proud of you." Luke repeated.

"How could you be proud of me?" Rebecca wondered. "You don't know me. You don't know how hard I've worked to get here. I don't know if I can continue with this meeting. This is just too much. I don't think either of you realize how painful this is for me." Rebecca said before shaking her head and backing away from the table. "I'm sorry, but I really just can't do this."

Luke tried to say something to stop her, but she walked away before he could get the words out. "Wha? Is she coming back?" He finally got out as he turned to look at Rachel.

"I think it's just best to let her go for now. Let her think it over and then call her in a couple days." Rachel suggested.

"I guess that's what I'll have to do." Luke said in frustration.

XXXXX

Rory sat on the couch with Lorelai Monday afternoon after Lorelai returned from her doctor's appointment.

"Mom, you haven't said anything since you got back. You have to say something." Rory insisted.

"Twins" Lorelai said in shock.

"What?" Rory exclaimed. "Seriously? As in two babies?"

"Yes" Lorelai nodded and reached into her purse to show Rory a sonogram picture.

"I don't know how to read these things." Rory said as she turned the picture in an attempt to see whatever she was supposed to see. Lorelai quickly pointed out two small images and Rory nodded before looking back at her Mom. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm having twins Rory!" Lorelai gasped. "I have a baby and an absent husband and I'm having twins. This is the worst thing that could have happened." Lorelai said as she began to cry.

Rory hugged her Mom and couldn't help but feel sad for her. However, she also felt really excited that her Mom and Luke were having twins. It was unexpected and scary, especially with Luke gone, but Rory had hope that everything would work out. Plus, she was there to help her Mom with whatever she needed. If Luke wasn't going to step up, Rory vowed to be her Mom's support. "Mom, it's going to be ok." Rory said in an effort to reassure her. "I'm going to help you through this and you'll see it all be ok."

"How?"

"I'll help with whatever I can. I'll babysit, do laundry, clean, go shopping, whatever. For a long time, you took care of me and now it's my turn to give back and help take care of you. I love you and I'm going to make sure this is ok." Rory insisted before hugging her Mom tightly.

XXXXX

"Honestly, Lorelai." Emily sighed as her daughter opened the front door and she pushed her way inside The Danes house. "You've been canceling on your father and I for Friday night dinners for almost a month. You finally agree to have dinner and you force us to come to your house. You could of at least cleaned it up." Emily said as she took off her coat and looked around.

"Nice to see you too, Mom." Lorelai said and rolled her eyes. "Hi, Dad. How are you?"

"I'm fine Lorelai." Richard said and turned to Emily. "Emily, did it ever occur to you that Lorelai might be busy? She runs a successful business and has a baby. Her responsibilities demand a large portion of her time."

"Well, I suppose that's true." Emily reluctantly agreed. "Speaking of baby, where is our Grandson?"

"He's sleeping, but should be up for his dinner in a little bit." Lorelai said and took her parents coats to hang up. "Rory and Logan will be here shortly."

"Good. I haven't seen Logan or Rory in quite a while." Richard said and walked into the living room before picking up the paper.

"Is wine ok?" Lorelai asked as her Mother followed her into the kitchen. "I have red and white."

"Red would be fine for your father and I'll have white." Emily said as she stood near the table and watched Lorelai uncork the wine and pour it into glasses. "You're not having any?" Emily asked when she noticed Lorelai only poured two glasses.

"No, I'm a little tired and I don't really feel like it." Lorelai shrugged.

"Oh, well you didn't need to open those bottles just for us."

"It's no trouble. Logan and Rory will drink some when they come, so it won't go to waste."

Emily nodded in agreement and sipped her wine as Lorelai went about preparing dinner. It shocked Emily to see Lorelai so comfortable cooking, but then Emily realized that Lorelai was merely assembling something someone else had prepared; probably Sookie. Emily was about to make a snide comment when she noticed something strange about Lorelai. As Lorelai reached into the cupboard for something, her shirt slid up to reveal her expanding mid section.

"Oh my God!" Emily exclaimed and widened her eyes. "You're pregnant."

"What?" Lorelai said in shock and quickly pulled down her shirt.

"It makes perfect sense. You've been trying to hide it by not showing up to Friday night dinners, you're not drinking, and you've gained weight."

"Thanks for pointing out that I'm getting fat." Lorelai scoffed.

"You're not fat, you're pregnant."

"Mom" Lorelai sighed as Richard entered the room.

"What's the yelling about in here?" He asked.

"Lorelai is pregnant." Emily said.

"What?" Richard boomed. "Well, congratulations are in order then." He smiled before walking over to Lorelai and hugging her.

"Thanks, Dad." Lorelai smiled softly.

"You're welcome." He smiled before frowning. "You don't seem too excited about it. Is everything alright? Is Luke not excited?"

"I haven't told Luke." Lorelai admitted.

"What?" Emily exclaimed. "Hasn't he noticed?"

"He hasn't been home for almost a month and this isn't really the kind of news you share over the phone."

"A month! Where has he been?" Richard asked.

"It's kind of a long story." Lorelai sighed. "Let's go have a seat in the living room and I'll explain."

A few minutes later Lorelai finished explaining Luke's absence and waited for her parents to take in the news and react. Fortunately, Rory and Logan picked that moment to show up and walk through the front door.

"This is outrageous!" Richard boomed, startling Rory and causing Logan to frown. "A man can't just leave his family like that! Luke has responsibilities here and shouldn't be out gallivanting around."

"He's hardly gallivanting." Lorelai rolled her eyes. "He's trying to have a relationship with his daughter."

"Who's an adult." Emily pointed out. "Luke is failing to see that his children are adults and they can take care of themselves. If he reaches out to them and they don't respond, that's their problem. He should be more concerned about little William."

"And about his wife." Rory pointed out as she stood next to Lorelai.

"Hello, Rory. Logan." Richard nodded. "I agree with you Rory. I know you can certainly take care of yourself, Lorelai, but Luke should be here. His behavior is completely unacceptable."

"It certainly is." Emily nodded.

"I think we can all agree that Luke needs to be back here." Logan said. "But maybe instead of focusing on hating Luke, we should focus on helping Lorelai. Rory has been amazing helping out and I've been trying to help too. I'm sure we all find a way to be helpful."

"He has a point." Richard said to Emily, who eyed Logan suspiciously.

"He certainly does." Emily finally agreed before turning to Lorelai. "Lorelai, your Father and I will help with whatever you need. Let me know what your schedule is and I'll help out with babysitting William. We can help with money too, if you need it."

"Thanks, Mom. The money isn't necessary, but I'd happily accept the babysitting."

"Especially with two little ones coming. You're going to need all the help you can get." Rory said.

"Two? You're having twins?" Emily exclaimed.

"Uh, yeah. I just found out." Lorelai admitted.

"Well, double congratulations then!" Richard beamed.

"Thanks." Lorelai smiled. "So, shall we go eat?"

"Yes, that sounds good." Rory said.

Richard and Emily led the way into the kitchen as Lorelai and Logan brought up the rear. "Thanks for jumping in there." Lorelai whispered to Logan.

"No problem." Logan nodded. "I know what it's like to have your family pounce on you like that."

Everyone gathered around the table before sitting down while Rory went into Will's bedroom to check on him. "Hi, there little brother." She said when she noticed he was awake in his crib. "You're quiet tonight. Aren't you hungry?" She asked and carefully picked him up. She rubbed his back for a minute before wandering into the kitchen and over to where her Grandfather was sitting. "You want to see Grandpa?"

"Yes, he does." Richard smiled and took his Grandson in his lap. "How are you, William?"

"He looks happy." Logan commented. "He must have had a good nap."

Emily frowned and looked at Logan like he had two heads. "How would you know that, Logan? Did you suddenly become an expert on babies?"

"No, Emily." Logan smiled. "I've been coming over here a lot and helping Rory look after Will. He's actually a pretty cool little guy."

"Both Logan and Rory have been a huge help." Lorelai added.

"I see." Emily nodded. "Well, thank you, Logan. I appreciate you looking out for Lorelai and William. I guess I should be here more often to help. How does your schedule look tomorrow, Lorelai?"

"I'm working all day. I was going to bring Will to the Inn and keep him in my office while I work."

"I'll be here at seven AM. You can leave Will here and I'll watch him. I'm sure you have a lot to do at the Inn."

"Thanks, Mom. I'd appreciate it."

"It's no trouble." Emily shrugged.

Lorelai smiled before continuing to eat her dinner. It felt a little strange that her Mother would offer help so quickly, but Lorelai hoped it would be the start of something good. Maybe this crappy situation would be the catalyst to finally bring Lorelai closer to her parents. There was a long road to travel before Lorelai would be remotely close to having a good relationship, but this just might be the first step.

XXXXX

**AN: So…what did you think? Worth a review? (Please, pretty please? Lol)**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Thank you all so much for reviewing the last chapter! Remember at the beginning of the story how I said Luke may be a bit out of character? Well, that definitely applies to this chapter. Consider this your warning. **

XXXXX

After Rebecca walked out on Luke and Rachel at breakfast, Luke spent the rest of the day trying to think of a way to get through to Rebecca. He heeded Rachel's advice and left their daughter alone, but he desperately wanted to call her or drop by her apartment.

The next morning Luke called Rebecca and not surprisingly didn't get a response. He tried a few more times throughout the day and decided to go to her apartment after dinner. Rebecca's card was in the parking lot and lights were on in the apartment, but she didn't answer the door. He waited a minute before knocking again. This time Rebecca flung the door open and frowned at him.

"I don't want to talk to you." She said sternly.

"Why? What did I do?"

"I don't think I need to explain myself, Luke. I've decided to take care of myself and do what's best for me. I don't have any intention of changing my mind. You can give up on me talking to you now or ever." Rebecca spat before slamming the door in Luke's face.

Luke blinked back tears that suddenly sprang to his eyes as Rebecca sharply rejected him. Luke had become increasingly frustrated and hurt by her lack of interest, but this was too much. He didn't know what to do, so he drove straight to Rachel's parents' house.

"She won't talk to me." Luke sighed as Rachel opened the front door.

Rachel shook her head before ushering Luke inside and to the living room. She sat next to him on the couch and gently rubbed his back as he sat with his head in his hands.

"I went to her apartment and she slammed the door in my face. She said she had no intention of talking with me now or ever."

"I'm sure she'll come around" Rachel soothed him.

"I don't know." Luke sighed. "All I want to do is have a relationship with her. I've never done anything wrong. No matter what I do, she just doesn't seem to be interested or have any desire to know me. She hates me."

"Hey, she doesn't hate you." Rachel insisted before touching his cheek with her hand and moving his face to look into his eyes. Before she could think or say anything else, their lips met. They parted and looked at each other in shock before Rachel kissed Luke and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Whoa" Luke said as he pulled back from her. "Rachel, we can't" He hesitated.

"Oh, right…sorry." Rachel nodded. "I guess I just got wrapped up in the moment."

"It's ok." Luke nodded as Rachel put her hand on his thigh and leaned against him.

"I really don't think Rebecca hates you." She insisted. "Rebecca and I have had a strained relationship at times and I know she resents me for raising her and David the way I did. David seems to have adjusted and turned out just fine, but Rebecca keeps holding a grudge. I don't think she knows hard how it was for me to have them at a young age. I really wasn't cut out to raise kids. That sounds horrible, but it's the truth. I realized it pretty early on and asked my parents for help. They agreed and took on most of the day to day responsibilities while I provided financially. I can't change what I did. I regret not telling you about David and Rebecca and I regret not telling them about you. I'm sorry, but I can't change anything. All I can do now is help you get to know them."

"Thank you." Luke said and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. "I really do just want to know them. I don't want anything from them other than that. That's not asking too much, is it?"

"No, I don't think so. David has been receptive."

"So why not Rebecca?"

"Because people are different. They react differently and have different emotions. I wish I could do more to change Rebecca's mind. I'll try, but I can't guarantee anything." Rachel offered.

"I don't know what else can be done." Luke shrugged. Rachel agreed by rubbing his thigh and slowly turning to kiss him again. Luke began to resist, but the storm of emotions within his mind were losing out to his physical urges. Rachel mistook his lack of resistance as a sign to continue and got up off the couch before pulling him up and down the hallway to the guest bedroom.

XXXXX

Lorelai sighed and rolled onto her back as she lay in bed. She was getting really frustrated with Luke's absence, but she didn't really know what to do about it. Being in bed alone, in the dark, wearing one of Luke's flannel shirts wasn't helping her current state of mind much either. When it came down to it, she really was just plain old frustrated and lonely.

Lorelai moved her hands to her belly and slowly moved her right hand in circles. As her Mother had not so subtlety pointed out, it was now becoming obvious that she was pregnant; either that or she was awkwardly gaining weight. Lorelai had quickly realized how different this pregnancy was than when she was pregnant with Will. If anything, it more closely resembled her pregnancy with Rory, minus the biology and history exams. When Lorelai was pregnant with Will, Luke made sure to say goodnight to her belly every night. He didn't care if it was corny or not because he loved their little baby. With her current pregnancy, there had been no such moments. Luke didn't even know about the babies yet. Lorelai wondered what his reaction would be. He'd practically jumped for joy when he found out Will was on the way. This pregnancy was a big surprise, but she'd hoped he would be just as happy. Now with his absence, she was even having a hard time being excited, let alone hoping that would be. Maybe the babies would be the thing that brought them back together. Maybe they would all be one big happy family after all. _Maybe,_ Lorelai thought and sighed again.

"How are you guys tonight?" Lorelai asked while she continued to rub her belly. She suddenly decided that even if she wasn't super excited out this pregnancy yet, she was going to be. She'd just have to start talking to the babies and get to know them. "I guess I shouldn't say 'guys' because you might be girls or a boy and a girl. Let's just agree that 'guys' includes both genders." Lorelai clarified to herself. "I would actually really like it if at least one of you was a girl. But, if you're both boys, I won't hold it against you. I just think it would be nice to have a little girl to pal around with again. You already have a sister and a brother, by the way. Rory is in college, so she'll be able to give you both really smart advice. Will is going to be almost two years older than you, so you'll have someone else to play with and grow up with. I do have to apologize in advice if Will gets jealous of you when you're born. He's used to being the spoiled baby of the family, so it will take him some time to adjust." Lorelai explained. "I don't know what to say about your Dad, to be honest. He doesn't know about you yet, but I'm sure he'll be really happy when he finds out. We love each other, but your Dad has had some tough stuff to deal with lately. See, he recently found out that his high school girlfriend had his twins after they graduated high school. So, he has two twenty year old children that he's just now meeting. They're your siblings too, so maybe you'll all meet at some point. Your Dad will come home soon and everything will work itself out." Lorelai nodded before yawning. "Ok, I'm sleepy now. I guess this is goodnight for now. Please be nice and don't play with my bladder." She joked before patting her stomach and closing her eyes.

XXXXX

The next morning Lorelai sat in her office at the Inn and tried to get work done, but she was quickly failing. She'd woken up several times during the night for various reasons and had a hard time falling asleep after. Now, she was falling asleep at her desk rather than getting anything done. Lorelai laid her head down on her desk and before she knew it, was fast asleep.

Almost an hour later, Sookie slowly opened the office door and walked over to gently wake her best friend up. "Lorelai" Sookie whispered as she touched her shoulder.

"mmmhhh?" Lorelai mumbled and slowly sat up.

"You were sleeping, sweetie." Sookie said. "Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you, but you've been in here for a while. I started to get worried when you didn't come out for your coffee. Are you feeling ok?"

"Just a little yucky. Not really sure if it's still morning sickness or if it's just because I didn't really sleep well last night." Lorelai said and yawned as Sookie's eyes grew wide.

"Did you just say 'morning sickness'? Oh my gosh! You're pregnant!" Sookie exclaimed.

"Shhh" Lorelai insisted as Sookie quickly covered her mouth with her hand. "I haven't told anyone but Rory and my parents."

"You haven't told Luke?"

"No." Lorelai shook her head. "I'm waiting until he gets home."

"Ok" Sookie nodded. "I guess it's hard to give that news over the phone. Another baby…you must be so excited! Will's going to be a big brother. You and Luke are going to have another little baby. I'm so excited!"

"Well, I'm glad you are." Lorelai said under her breath. "By the way, it's twins."

"Oh my gosh!" Sookie squealed.

"Yeah" Lorelai nodded.

"Oh, hun" Sookie said sympathetically as she finally realized that Lorelai wasn't exactly jumping for joy. "It will be ok. Luke will come back and he'll be really excited about the babies. It will all be ok."

"I really hope so, Sook. I don't want to do this alone, again. Rory's been a huge help and even Logan has been coming over to cook and babysit Will. I really appreciate the help, but I don't want to be a single parent again."

"So call Luke and tell him to come home."

"He's very set on getting to know his daughter. He won't leave until he has a conversation with her. I understand what he's thinking, but I don't know how much more patience I have left. Is it crazy of me to think that way?"

"He's your husband and you miss him." Sookie nodded. "I have to jump in as your best friend here and stick up for you though. Keeping all those feelings locked inside is not healthy for you or the babies. You really need to call Luke and ask him to come home. He loves you and has to know how hard this all is on you."

"But I don't want to be the bitchy, naggy wife." Lorelai explained as tears formed in her eyes. "I don't want to call and demand that he come home immediately."

"Well, ok you don't have to do it like that." Sookie agreed. "Just let him know that you miss him and would like him to come home as soon as he can."

"I guess." Lorelai sighed.

"Ok. Now, you make sure and let me know if there is anything at all that Jackson and I can help with."

"You could start by getting me some chocolate cake." Lorelai joked.

"On it!" Sookie exclaimed and ran out of the room as Lorelai shook her head.

XXXXX

**AN: Ok, please don't throw too many rocks at me! You may certainly express your displeasure with Luke (can't say I'm too fond of him at this point either), but don't hate me. I'm a Luke and Lorelai fan, so hang in there with me on this one.**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing. I know most of you are upset with Luke, but please hang in there with me. I won't give anything away, but please just hang in there. Ok, here's the next chapter…**

**XXXXX**

As Luke began to wake up, he felt the weight of a woman's head on his chest. He instinctively pulled her closer and ran his hand through her hair. As he inhaled the scent of her hair, he froze. _Lorelai's hair doesn't smell like that,_ he thought and opened his eyes.

"Shit" Luke said as he realized it was Lorelai, but Rachel. _No, no, no! _His mind screamed while Rachel stirred in her sleep and snuggled closer to Luke. _A very naked Rachel_ Luke realized and tried to untangle himself from her. _What the hell did I do? I'm married to Lorelai! Oh, Lorelai. Shit I've fucked up. _Luke's mind screamed. He pushed Rachel off of himself before she woke up and tried to kiss him. "Don't" Luke insisted and backed away.

"What's the matter, Luke? You were pretty eager last night." Rachel smiled slyly.

"Last night was a complete mistake." Luke insisted. "It should have never ever happened. I'm married to Lorelai. I love her and I don't want to screw up what we have."

"So don't tell her." Rachel shrugged. "It's not like I live near you guys or anything. She's not going to see me around town. We're just having a little fun."

"That's so not the point." Luke said and got out of bed. He quickly put his clothes back on and looked around for his shoes. "This cannot happen again, ever. It shouldn't have happened at all. I messed up so bad."

"Well, for what it's worth, it sure didn't feel like a mistake. You've still got it, ya know." Rachel smirked. "Your shoes are in the hallway. You kicked them off out there."

Luke nodded before going to the hallway and picking up his shoes before leaving the house. He practically ran down the sidewalk before hoping into his truck and driving off toward his hotel. _Shit, shit, shit _Luke kept repeating over and over in his mind as he drove. He parked his truck in the hotel parking lot and made his way to his hotel room. He instantly took all his clothes back off and got into the shower.

As hard as he tried, he couldn't wash away what he'd done last night. He used his hand to hold himself up against the shower wall as he leaned into the spray of the shower head. He felt sick. _How am I ever going to explain this? _He thought. _There is no way Lorelai will ever forgive me. I've just screwed up our marriage. I love her, how could I cheat on her? I really hope we don't get a divorce. What about Will? What will happen to him if Lorelai and I split up? I really, really, really messed up. Shit, what am I going to do? I'll have to think of something. _

XXXXX

Time marched on while Luke spent the better part of the next month away from Stars Hollow. He made several attempts to contact Rebecca, but finally came to the realization that she just wasn't going to talk with him. It really hurt Luke that she was essentially rejecting him, but he knew he couldn't force her into a relationship with him. As much as it hurt Luke to leave Florida without a plan to be involved in Rebecca's life, he had to do it.

He couldn't be around Rachel anymore after what had happened and he needed to figure out a way to tell Lorelai. Luke absolutely dreaded telling Lorelai, but he couldn't keep it a secret forever. However, he was able to delay telling her by going to visit David in New York.

David seemed happy to have Luke around and got along great with him. They didn't agree on everything and weren't alike in every way, but they were similar enough to understand one another. Through their numerous conversations, it was David who finally made Luke realize just how much he'd screwed up lately. Not just the affair, but leaving Lorelai in the first place. Luke felt sick as he thought of everything he'd done to his wife. He had essentially abandoned her to go pursue his other family.

"Hey Luke?" David asked as they sat in a coffee shop eating breakfast.

"Yeah?" Luke asked as he turned his attention back to David.

"You've been staring out the window for the last five minutes. Is everything ok? Is something wrong with your food?"

"The food's fine." Luke said and shook his head. "I was just thinking about how much I screwed things up with Lorelai. I've been so stupid in being gone this long. It wasn't stupid to try and talk to Rebecca, but I shouldn't have been away from Stars Hollow for so long. It's been a couple of months now. How could I do that to Lorelai and Will?"

"So, go back home then."

"I wish I could, but there is something I have to figure out first."

"Why don't you just talk to Lorelai about it? She seems like an understanding person."

Luke nodded and sighed, unsure if he should tell David about what he'd done. "It's sort of complicated, David. Something happened in Florida that I don't think Lorelai is going to be so thrilled about. You see I started talking to your Mom again. It's been a long time and there's all this emotion between us; some from years ago and some over me just now finding out about you and your sister." Luke explained. "Anyway, one thing led to another and your Mom and I ended up sleeping together."

David cringed as Luke finished the last sentence. He loved his Mom and he was really liking getting to know Luke, but this was just unacceptable. "What? How could you do that?" David asked. "You're married."

"I know." Luke nodded. "I can't explain, it just happened. That's sounds so stupid, but it's true."

"I don't think you're the man I thought you were." David said coldly and slid his plate away. He set his knife and fork down and reached for his wallet, threw a few bills on the table, and shook his head at Luke. "Luke, I thought you were a man of substance, character, and morals. I thought you loved your wife. I was beginning to really respect you and the life you lived. Now, I don't know that I really want to know you at all if you're the kind of guy who has an affair. It's sick. You need to go back to Stars Hollow and tell Lorelai. You better beg her for forgiveness and hope that one day she'll forgive you." David said before sliding out of his seat and walking out of the restaurant.

Luke was stunned. His Son had just told him off. He certainly didn't expect that David would tell him it was ok, but he didn't expect that reaction. Luke sat there paralyzed for a few minutes until his cell phone started to ring. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket and answered, "Hello?"

"Luke, it's Rory."

"Hi Rory."

"Luke, you need to come back here." Rory insisted.

"Ah, I'd really like to Rory, but I'm in New York with David right now." He said, hoping to delay his return until he could figure out how to fix his mistake.

"Luke, I'm sorry that you're having a hard time connecting to your kids, but you need to come home. Things are falling apart around here Luke." Rory explained. "I finished school and couple weeks ago and I've been spending the summer here with Mom helping her take care of Will. She's completely exhausted between keeping the Inn running, taking care of Will, being pregnant with twins, and trying to keep the house up. She shouldn't have to do it alone Luke. You need to come back here and help take care of your family."

"Rory, I- wait. Pregnant? Lorelai's pregnant?" Luke said in disbelief.

"Yeah. You didn't know?"

"No" Luke answered.

"Oh, crap. I guess I shouldn't have told you. Shoot. When was the last time you talked to Mom?"

"A couple weeks ago. When did she find out she's pregnant?" Luke wondered.

"Just after you left. So, about three months ago."

"Really? Wow, uh, wow." Luke stuttered.

"Yeah"

"Did you say something about twins?"

"Yup."

"Déjà vu" Luke whispered as his head continued to spin.

Rory sighed in frustration before saying, "Luke, just call Mom and talk to her, ok?"

"Ok" Luke agreed before Rory hung up. _Hell, Pregnant!_ Luke's mind screamed. He felt the room spin a bit before he decided to get out of the restaurant and take a nice long walk. He threw a couple more dollars on top of what David had already left and headed out to walk around. _Why didn't she tell me? _Luke wondered as he tried to process the information. He and Lorelai were going to have another baby. At one point they had discussed having kids, but never how many. They had decided that two kids would be nice, but would talk about having more than one after the first was born. They hadn't had a chance to discuss it yet, so this pregnancy was a major surprise. The more he thought about it though, the more excited he got. A smirk appeared on his face as he thought about how great it was that he would be a Daddy again, twice actually. _Hopefully one will be a girl._ Luke thought as he walked. _A girl with dark curly hair and Lorelai's eyes. Maybe it would be two girls. I guess it could be two boys. Boys are good, but at least one girl would be nice._

Before Luke knew it, he had walked all the way back to David's apartment. He pushed the buzzer before David let him into the building and opened the apartment door for him.

"Hey, Luke." David nodded as Luke walked in and sat on the couch. "I'm sorry I flipped out on you earlier. However, I'm going to have to insist that you go back home to your family. I don't want you hiding out here. Go home and try to fix everything."

"Lorelai's pregnant." Luke blurted out.

"Huh? What? When did that happen?" David asked as he sat in a chair near the couch.

"I guess she found out right after I left, so she's at least three months along, probably more like four or five."

"You definitely need to go back soon then. Did she call and tell you just now?"

"No, her daughter, Rory called. I guess things are falling apart, but Rory is trying to help hold it all together."

"Luke, you're just going to have to go back and face the music. I don't think there will ever be a way to explain what you did. Just go back and tell her." David sighed.

"I think you're right." Luke agreed. "I'll go this afternoon."

XXXXX

Rory hung up and threw her cell phone on the couch.

"Ouch!" Logan exclaimed as the phone hit his head. "That hurt."

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry, I forgot you were napping on the couch. Are you ok?" Rory said and rushed over to check out Logan's wounded head.

"Geez, what did I do to deserve that?" Logan joked as Rory carefully pushed his hair aside while examining his scalp.

"I'm so sorry." Rory apologized again. "I was taking my frustration with Luke out. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I think my scalp will be ok. It isn't bleeding, is it?"

"No, looks like you'll have a bump though." Rory frowned.

"I'll be ok." Logan assured her. "So, Luke called?"

"Yes" Rory sighed. "I don't even know what to do with him anymore. I wonder if he's ever going to come home or if Mom is going to have to raise Will and the twins on her own."

"He better come back." Logan said seriously. "I'll beat him if he doesn't."

Rory smirked as Logan sat up on the couch and pulled Rory into his lap. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. Mom was supposed to have the perfect family this time. It's all falling apart and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it. It kills me to helplessly watch this happen."

"I know it does." Logan nodded. "You love your Mom a lot and your brother too. You don't like seeing them get hurt."

"Luke is going to get hurt if he doesn't come home soon." Rory noted.

"Like I said before, I agree with that." Logan concurred. "Just so you know, I would never do that to you. Ever since I've been with you, I've changed. I'm not the playboy I used to be. I love you and I want to be with only you. You don't need to worry about me leaving you because it's never going to happen. You're stuck with me, Ace."

"I love you too." Rory smiled and cupped his cheek. "Speaking of being together…are you implying what I think you're implying?"

"Yes, but not anytime soon." Logan said. "I want to marry you, Rory Gilmore, but let's wait a bit longer, ok?"

"I agree, Logan Huntzberger." Rory smiled. "Love you." She said before kissing him.


	9. Chapter 9

Luke quietly walked up the steps of his and Lorelai's house. He had intended to arrive earlier, but traffic kept him. It was now getting dark outside and Luke hoped Lorelai hadn't gone to bed early. He took a deep breath before ringing the door bell and waiting. His heart started beating faster as he heard footsteps approaching the door. As the door opened, he looked up and waited for Lorelai's reaction as she looked at him with a stunned expression.

"Luke" She said and studied him as if trying to determine if he was really there or not. After what seemed like an eternity, Lorelai threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. Luke responded by wrapping his arms around her and holding her securely.

"I'm sorry I was gone so long, Lorelai." Luke whispered into her ear. "I love you."

"I love you too, Luke. I'm glad you're home." Lorelai said before looking up and kissing him. "Come inside."

Luke nodded and held her hand as she pulled him into the house and embraced him again after the door shut. It didn't seem real at that moment. Luke had made it home and Lorelai was actually happy to see him. It was almost too good to be true.

They starred at each other until Lorelai pulled back slightly and held Luke's hand in hers. "Rory told me she called you and let some news slip." Lorelai smirked as she pulled his hand to rest on her now very obvious baby belly. "We're going to have two additions to the family."

"I know." Luke smiled as he felt her belly. "How far along?"

"Five months. Are you happy?" Lorelai wondered.

"Of course. I'm still really surprised, but in a good way. How could I not be happy to be having more babies with you?" Luke smiled and kissed her. "Speaking of babies, where's Will? Is he sleeping?"

"Yes, he fell asleep about an hour ago." Lorelai answered and continued to hold his hand as she led him into Will's room. She watched as Luke leaned over the crib and kissed Will's forehead. He starred at his Son for a minute before turning around to Lorelai.

"He's getting big." Luke whispered. "He's almost all grown up."

"Yeah, they tend to grow pretty fast." Lorelai agreed.

"Lorelai….I'm so….I'm so sorry." Luke whispered as he hugged her again. Will began to stir and Lorelai quickly ushered Luke out of the room and into the living room before sitting on the couch.

"Luke, it was really awful to have you gone, but I'm really happy you're here now. There are some things we definitely need to talk about, but let's save it for the morning. Let's just enjoy this." Lorelai said and pulled his hand back to her belly.

Luke was a little surprised at her idea of putting off the discussion, but nodded in agreement. It might be better to get a good night's rest before having to discuss his betrayal. Luke smiled as Lorelai curled up against him and rubbed her hand on his thigh. His immediate reaction at the familiar motion was to jump up and run away, but he quickly remembered that it was Lorelai, not Rachel. He almost cringed at what he'd just thought. He pulled Lorelai closer and tried to put the image of Rachel out of his mind. He loved Lorelai, he really did, but he was struggling with how to tell her about the affair without completely crushing her. _There is no way this isn't going to completely break her heart,_ Luke thought. He sighed and tried to push the image out of his mind for now.

"What are you thinking about?" Lorelai asked. "You have your thinking frown on."

"Nothing." Luke lied. "Just thinking about how much I missed while I was gone."

"Well, you can tell just by looking at Will that you've missed a lot. I'm not going to sugar coat it and say that it's all ok. It's not, Luke. That's why I don't want to discuss it tonight. I want to be close to you tonight and I'm just too tired to have the lengthy discussion that we need to, ok?"

"Ok" Luke agreed and hugged Lorelai tighter.

"You know, I'm in my second trimester now." Lorelai said and smirked. "You remember how randy I get…"

"Lorelai" Luke blushed slightly. "Don't you think that's a little forward?"

"You've been gone and I've got an itch." Lorelai joked. "Come on! Do your husbandly duty!"

"Well, if you insist." Luke joked.

Lorelai pulled him off the couch and up the stairs before kissing him in their bedroom. She unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off of his shoulders before starting to unbutton his jeans.

"Lorelai" Luke said and grabbed her hands. "Slow down a bit. I want to enjoy this."

Lorelai nodded and helped Luke out of his flannel and undershirt before allowing him to unbutton her own shirt. He took a minute to touch and admire her belly before looking up into her eyes and smiling.

"I'm so huge" Lorelai whined.

"No" Luke insisted. "Beautiful."

XXXXX

Lorelai woke up in the middle of the night and blinked a few times as she tried to see in the dark. She attempted to get out of bed, but quickly realized that Luke had his arm around her waist. She untangled herself from his grip and went to the bathroom to relieve the pressure the twins were putting on her bladder.

A minute later, Lorelai slid back into bed and relaxed against Luke's body. Her mind raced as she tried to relax. She was happy that Luke was finally home, but she was still kind of upset with him for his absence. Her hormones were going wild and they seemed to dominate the situation last night.

The moment Lorelai saw Luke standing on the front porch all she wanted to do was throw her arms around him and kiss him. In that moment it didn't matter that he'd been gone for so long; he was home now. She was so happy and excited to see him that everything else just melted away. Currently, the scene replaying in her mind was nauseating. It looked like some sort of overly cheesy romantic made for TV movie. Now that she'd had time to reflect and come to her senses that she began to feel the sting of his absence and the emptiness he'd left in his wake.

Lorelai was tempted to wake Luke up and ask him a million questions while pouring her heart out to him. She wanted to yell and scream to let him know exactly how she felt. She rolled over slowly and was about to wake him up, but then she saw his face and all of her anger melted away. Luke looked so tired and worn out. Yelling at him right now would be like yelling at a puppy. Lorelai sighed and sank back into the bed as tears formed in her eyes.

"Stupid hormones" she quietly cursed and wiped them away. She didn't want to cry; certainly not about this. She wanted to be angry and upset; possibly throw things or break a vase. Heck, she wanted an explanation and an apology. She wanted the old Luke back.

Lorelai really wanted to 'pull a Scarlet' and think about it tomorrow, but her mind would not shut off and allow the sleep she desperately wanted. So, Lorelai slowly climbed out of bed, threw on her robe, and walked downstairs to the living room. She took a quick detour to check on Will and returned to the couch after finding him fast asleep. Lorelai picked the laptop up from the coffee table and adjusted it on her lap before turning it on.

A minute later she found herself checking Facebook for the latest updates and stumbling on Luke's recent Facebook activity. It still made her smile that Luke actually used Facebook. She scrolled through the pictures Luke had uploaded and realized she was learning more about Luke's kids from Facebook than from Luke. Most of the pictures were of David, which made Lorelai think about how much he looked like Luke.

In fact, it looked like David was a really nice young man who had a very bright future. From the limited interaction Lorelai had with David, he seemed like a man of strong character and intelligence. He seemed like the kind of man Luke was. Well, maybe before the whole leaving his family bit.

Lorelai sighed and rested her hand on her belly while thinking about her own family. She was beginning to get excited about the babies, but didn't want to get ahead of herself. What she really wanted was a happy and healthy family; something that didn't seem like too much to ask. It was all such a mess, but Lorelai really hoped that she and Luke could work things out and be happy again. She still loved Luke, but she wasn't willing to be with him if he didn't want to be a part of their family. His lack of communication had basically indicated that. Lorelai thought of all the things that had gone wrong over the last few months and cringed at how much work she and Luke needed to do.

As her mind spun with all the things they needed to discuss, Lorelai quickly closed the internet browser and opened a blank document. She made a list of things to discuss, but also went on to list the reasons why they needed to work things out.

After almost an hour of list making, Lorelai came to one conclusion; she and Luke loved each other.

"It's going to be hard, but we're going to work through this." Lorelai said out loud and nodded with confidence.

XXXXX

The next morning, Luke made breakfast for Lorelai and Will. Everyone seemed happy, but Luke felt a shadow hanging over the family as he thought of the conversation he and Lorelai were going to have. After everyone finished eating, Lorelai took Will over to Sookie's for the morning so she and Luke could talk freely.

Finally, Luke and Lorelai sat opposite each other at the kitchen table. Luke folded his hands and waited for Lorelai to lead the conversation.

"I don't really know where to start." Lorelai admitted. "To be honest, I'm still really confused by everything. I feel really hurt that you were gone for so long. You know I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, but I feel like you abandoned me. You just assumed everything was fine here. Well, it wasn't."

"I shouldn't have been gone so long." Luke nodded. "It was wrong for me to just assume you'd take care of everything." 

Lorelai clenched her jaw and tried to remain calm as her blood pressure rose. "Luke, cut the stupid canned marriage counseling language. Just admit that you screwed up and hurt this family. You might as well have walked out on us. You can't honestly expect to come back and have everything be ok after a crappy apology."

"Lorelai, I don't expect everything to go back to normal overnight, but you need to let me back in."

"Why? You walked away."

"I went to visit my children. I wanted to have a relationship with David and Rebecca. I came back as soon as I knew Rebecca wasn't receptive to me. What more do you want from me?" Luke huffed. "I don't know how to deal with all of this. Can't you understand that I'm confused and I'm trying to figure out what to do?"

"Can't you understand that we're married! I'm your wife, Luke. You're treating me more like a girlfriend or roommate. We used to be partners, Luke. We shared our feelings, our thoughts, dreams, and our lives. I understand that you're confused by the sudden appearance of David and Rebecca, but you should talk to me about it. You don't have to have it all figured out, just talk about it. Don't just leave me and go work on it by yourself. Do you even care if I care? You haven't asked me how I feel about David and Rebecca."

"I need to get to know them first. Then you can be involved." Luke insisted.

"I don't want to be their new best friend. All I'm asking is that you tell me about them. I'd love to get to know them eventually, but I get that you need to establish a relationship first. Will would probably like to spend time with them too; they are related after all."

"Ok, but not right now."

"Yes, now." Lorelai insisted. "You were gone for way too long trying to contact Rebecca. You kept saying you needed more time to figure it out. Well, I'm not going to let you keep using that excuse, Luke."

"I don't think as fast as you do, Lorelai!" Luke huffed and crossed his arms. "It's going to take me some time to get it all going. I just…need to process this."

"But that doesn't mean you can't talk to me! Tell me, Luke. I'm your Wife and I love you like crazy. No one knows you better than I do, so why are you running away from me instead of consulting me? You have two adult children you've never met. Yes, that's shocking and overwhelming, but it's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong. Luke, you don't need to hide or feel ashamed. I'm not upset with you for David and Rebecca's existence. I'm upset that you left and basically ignored me." Lorelai explained.

"I thought you had everything under control. Every time we talked you said everything was good. When it seemed to get a little tougher, Rory helped. I'm not a mind reader. I don't know if there is a problem unless you tell me." Luke said in frustration.

"So it's ok to be gone as long as I don't tell you there's a problem at home." Lorelai asked with anger in her voice. She stood up from the table and began to pace around the kitchen as her face began to turn red before she finally exploded. "You have absolutely no regard for our family's needs! Hell, you don't even care about my feelings! You're completely oblivious!"

Luke stood up as Lorelai finished and tried to get her to relax. "Lorelai, you need to calm down. It's not healthy for the babies to get so upset."

"Don't touch me." Lorelai insisted and continued to pace after she pushed Luke away. She quickly put her coat on and walked toward the door. "You just don't get it. I can't even talk to you right now." She huffed before walking out and slamming the door.

Luke slumped his shoulders in defeat and sank down on the couch in the living room. "What the hell am I going to do to fix this?"


	10. Chapter 10

Lorelai walked through town with her arms crossed over her chest. She had been walking in circles, but she really needed to calm down and walking seemed to be the only thing that helped. As she walked closer to Sookie's house, she decided it would be good to check on Will.

Lorelai sighed as she walked up the sidewalk and to Sookie and Jackson's front door. She knocked and waited a minute before Jackson answered the door.

"Lorelai, hi." He smiled and gestured for her to enter the house. "You're early. Sookie said you'd be over after lunch sometime."

"Yeah, well, I finished with Luke early."

"Will's playing in Davey's room." Jackson nodded.

"Ok, thanks." Lorelai said and went in search of her Son. She found him on the floor in Davey's room surrounded by what appeared to be Davey's old toys. "Hi, buddy." Lorelai smiled as her Son looked up at her. "Are you having fun here?"

Will picked up one of circus animals he was playing with and handed it to Lorelai.

"What is this? A lion?" Lorelai asked as she slowly sat down on the floor. "Aren't you a little young to be playing all by yourself?" Lorelai joked as Jackson entered the room.

"I was playing with him." Jackson answered. "Don't worry, I wouldn't leave Will alone. I know a bit more about kids than that."

"I know you do." Lorelai said and smiled as Will crawled into her lap. "Was he good for you?"

"Yeah, Will's always good." Jackson nodded.

"Good." Lorelai nodded and kissed Will's head. "I think it's time for us to go home. What do you say Will?"

Will seemed indifferent either way, so Lorelai shrugged her shoulders and slowly stood up. She carefully balanced Will on her hip as Jackson helped her gather Will's things. She thanked Jackson again before leaving the house and walking back home.

As soon as Lorelai walked through the front door Luke walked into the foyer.

"Lorelai" He said and seemed to be relieved that she was back.

"Hi" She said and turned so he could see Will. "Say 'hi' to Daddy, Will." The little boy looked at his Father and frowned. He'd been doing that since Luke came home, but Lorelai just assumed it was because Luke had been gone so long.

"Hi, bud." Luke smiled and slowly took Will from Lorelai. "Are you ok?" He asked her.

"I'm fine." Lorelai lied.

"We should talk some more."

"No, thanks." Lorelai said and brushed passed him while she took her coat off and hung it in the closet. "Can you put Will down for his nap? I'm going upstairs to take a nap of my own."

"Ok" Luke nodded uneasily as she walked up the stairs. He shifted Will in his arms as the little boy began to squirm. Luke began to rub Will's back and walked toward his room as Will began to cry. "Hey, hey, it's ok bud." Luke tried to soothe him. "I'm here, everything is ok." Luke walked around Will's room, lightly bouncing him in his arms as Will continued to cry.

After five minutes had passed, Lorelai walked into the room and took Will out of Luke's arms. "Shhh…it's ok, Will." Lorelai said and tried to quiet his cries. She hummed a familiar tune in Will's ear which quickly put him to sleep. Lorelai gently laid him down in his crib before she and Luke left the room and quietly shut the bedroom door.

"I could have handled him." Luke said with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"He'd been crying for five minutes, Luke. I can't sleep if he's crying like that. It's just easier for me to put him down if you can't. It's going to take some time for Will to get used to you again." Lorelai spat as she walked back to the stairs.

"I wasn't gone that long." Luke insisted. "He still remembers me."

"He's just a baby, Luke. A month is a long time. He's obviously not comfortable with you."

"So what, you want me to just give up then?"

"No, I want you to spend more time with Will and make an effort to be his Dad." Lorelai sighed and walked over to the couch before plopping down on it. "Luke, do you even want to do this? Is your heart in this?"

"This what?"

"This family!" Lorelai sighed in frustration. "You keep acting like your absence was no big deal and we should just pick up where we left off. I'm really trying to let you back in, but you've done a lot of damage to this family. It's not just going to go away overnight, Luke. I want you to be my husband again. Will wants you to be his Daddy. Please, please come back to us and be a part of this family."

"I'm here, Lorelai." Luke said and sat down on the couch. "I'm trying to make this all work, but we're not going to be the family we used to be. I have two adult children that I need to factor in."

"I have an adult child that is factored in." Lorelai noted. "Rory is a very important part of this family and I didn't need any time off to figure that out."

"That's different. You're her Mother and you've always been involved in her life. I just found out about David and Rebecca. It's going to take me some time to figure all this out. I don't think as fast as you do." Luke explained.

"But you can't just ignore our family in the meantime. This is going to take some multitasking. I know that's not your strong suit, but you're going to have to figure it out sooner rather than later. Our family is a big deal and you're treating it like it's not." Lorelai said and tried to remain calm as her voice rose. "Luke, I want us to be a happy family again."

"So do I." Luke nodded.

"Ok, so let me in. Let's talk about making this work. I can help you figure stuff out."

Luke sighed and took Lorelai's hand in his. "I'm just so mixed up. I love you and Will. I want to be with you both, but I also feel I have a responsibility to David and Rebecca."

"I get that. It's good that you want to know them." Lorelai agreed. "I think it would be good if you established some sort of schedule or routine with them. Coordinate with them and see when you should call. Make it a point to call several times a week and schedule some visits. If you do that, we can be prepared for you to be gone and it won't be an issue. It might also be fun to have David and Rebecca come here for a couple visits. It would be a good idea if we all got to know each other. You're not going to be successful having two separate families, Luke. We don't need to do everything overnight, but let's do something."

"I could set up a call schedule with David. Rebecca doesn't really want to talk to me at all though."

"Then you work on making contact. Email her once a week or call her once a week. Don't just give up though."

"Ok" Luke nodded. "I'll work on it."

"And please work on talking to me. I'm not your enemy here, Luke." Lorelai said and squeezed his hand.

"Ok" Luke agreed.

They sat together in silence for a few minutes until Lorelai pulled Luke's hand to her belly. "They're kicking." Lorelai explained as smiled as Luke's face lit up.

"Hey, don't beat each other up in there." Luke said as he moved his other hand to feel.

"Yeah, they're pretty active." Lorelai smiled before yawning. "Sorry, but I'm pretty tired. I'm going to go up and take that nap now."

"Oh, yeah, you should rest. I'll keep an eye on Will."

"Thanks." Lorelai said before getting up and walking up the stairs. She stopped midway up as she realized something. "Oh, I almost forgot. Rory and Logan are coming over for dinner. Is that ok?"

"Of course it's ok." Luke nodded.

"Great, they'll be here around five or so. If I'm still asleep at 4:30 wake me up, ok?"

"Sure, will do." Luke nodded as Lorelai continued up the stairs. "Have a good nap."

XXXXX

Lorelai opened the door and smiled as she stepped aside and let Logan and Rory in.

"Lorelai" Logan nodded after Rory and Lorelai hugged briefly.

"Hi, Logan." Lorelai smiled.

"I brought some stuff for dinner." Logan explained as he help up the paper grocery sack. "I wasn't sure what you wanted to eat, so I just got a bunch of different stuff."

"Oh, thanks, that's so sweet." Lorelai said hesitantly. "I think Luke may have already started something in the kitchen, but maybe he needs some ingredients."

"If not then you have some free groceries." Logan shrugged as Lorelai led them toward the kitchen. Logan hung back as Rory smiled and hugged Luke.

"It's so good to see you, Luke!" Rory smiled as she stepped back and turned toward Logan.

"Hey, Luke. Nice to see you again." Logan nodded and shook Luke's hand.

"Logan" Luke nodded.

"I brought some stuff for dinner." Logan explained as he set the grocery bag on the counter. "Not to step on your toes or anything, but I was actually thinking of making chicken and rice. Lorelai made a comment that she was really craving that, so I thought I could make it."

"Oh, well, I've actually got a lasagna in the oven." Luke said slowly. "But thanks anyways."

"Ok, well, I'll just put the groceries away then." Logan agreed.

"I'm going to check on Will." Rory said and quickly escaped the tension in the room. She returned a minute later with a happy Will in her arms. "Want to say 'hi' to Logan?" Rory asked her baby brother as they walked over to Logan before Logan happily took the little boy.

"Hey, Will." Logan smiled and kissed him. Will smiled and happily babbled something as Logan listened intently. "Really? Well, I'm glad you had a good day."

Luke seemed somewhat irritated that Logan had such a close relationship with his Son and frowned as he watched the exchange. "You guys seem close."

"We've spent a lot of time together." Logan answered quickly.

"Logan and Rory have been helping with Will a lot lately." Lorelai added. "It's been really nice to have the extra help."

"Plus it's been really fun getting to know Will. He's a great little guy." Logan said and smiled at Will. "I've never really been around little kids or babies, so I wasn't sure what to expect at first."

"You picked a good one to get to know." Lorelai agreed. "He's a wonderful boy."

"And a pretty awesome brother, too." Rory added.

"We're all very lucky." Lorelai smiled.

"And very cheesy." Rory laughed.

"Speaking of cheese…I think dinner is ready." Luke said and opened the oven door.

Rory frowned at Lorelai as she was seeking an explanation for Luke's awkward behavior, but Lorelai just shrugged in response and went to help Luke serve dinner.

XXXXX

After everyone had finished eating dinner, they all gathered in the living room. Logan sat on the couch with Will in his arms, gently rubbing the little boy's back until he finally passed out.

"Awe…look how cute." Rory whispered.

Luke clenched his jaw at the sight and looked like he was trying to remain calm as Logan slowly took over his role in Will's life.

"Logan's a natural." Lorelai nodded and winked at Rory.

"Don't get any ideas." Rory warned.

"Ok, I think that's enough." Luke said and stood up. He quickly walked over and started took Will away from Logan and walked into Will's room.

"Uh, what the hell was that all about? Did I do something wrong?" Logan frowned.

"No, you're fine." Lorelai assured him. "Luke is having a hard time adjusting back into fatherhood. Will isn't used to having him back yet. I think Luke sees you and Will having and strong bond as threatening."

"Oh, I'm not trying to take over anything. Luke is always going to be his Dad. I've just enjoyed spending time with Will." Logan tried to explain.

"I know and I've very grateful that you've been so helpful and gotten to know Will. I'm sorry for Luke's behavior, but just try to see it from his perspective." Lorelai asked.

"Ok" Logan nodded.

"Maybe Luke will finally see the error of his ways and quit being such an ass." Rory said just as Luke was walking back into the living room.

"Excuse me?" Luke huffed and put his hands on his hips.

_To be continued…_


	11. Chapter 11

"_Maybe Luke will finally see the error of his ways and quit being such an ass." Rory said just as Luke was walking back into the living room._

"_Excuse me?" Luke huffed and put his hands on his hips._

"Uh…" Rory hesitated.

Lorelai and Logan's eyes darted back and forth between Luke and Rory as Luke waited for Rory's answer.

"No, go ahead, Rory." Luke insisted. "What were you saying?"

Rory bit her lip and looked at her Mom apologetically as she thought of what to say. "Nothing." Rory mumbled.

"No, I don't think that was it. Go on, share your thoughts with all of us. You were obviously going to say something before I walked it."

"You're being such an ass." Rory said with a hint of anger in her voice. "You've been a jerk to Logan all night just because Will likes him. Sorry, but you weren't here so Logan and I stepped up to help Mom out. We both got close to Will."

"I wasn't gone that long. You didn't need to take over. I'm Will's Dad, not Logan."

"Oh my gosh!" Rory groaned. "Logan isn't trying to be Will's Dad! If you're so concerned about Will, why were you gone so long? I'm getting really sick of all of this."

"Rory, I appreciate that you care so much about your brother, but it's not your job to take care of him."

"Exactly!" Rory agreed. "It's your job, but you weren't doing it. You just left Mom and Will to fend for themselves. I thought things would be different for Mom this time around. I thought she would finally have the perfect family, but I guess I was wrong."

"Rory, I'm here now. I'm not leaving."

"You may be here physically, but you're certainly not here mentally. You've been brooding all night and it just doesn't seem like you really want to be here." Rory huffed and stood up. "I don't want to do this right now. I can't be here unless you change, Luke." She said and walked to the front door. Logan quietly apologized to Lorelai before joining Rory and opening the door for her. They left and quickly got into the car as Lorelai watched from the window.

"What the hell was that all about?" Luke asked.

"Rory's upset."

"I gathered that. I didn't realize this affected her so much."

"Luke" Lorelai said and turned around to face him. "It's not just about you. It's about her Dad too. Rory has always seen you as sort of a second Dad, especially since Christopher could never really be bothered to be involved in her life. I think on some level she felt abandoned all over again when you left. She tries to mask it, but I can see the hurt."

"Oh, I didn't realize." Luke said.

Lorelai nodded and slowly moved to sit down on the couch. "Luke, I think that's part of the problem. You don't realize how much this has affected all of us. I guess it's partly my fault too. I should have called you and insisted you come back home. I didn't want to be the kind of wife who just orders her husband around."

"I don't want to be the kind of husband who needs his wife to order him around." Luke agreed and sat down next to her as the tension in the room began to dissipate. "I'm sorry. Seeing Logan with Will really irritated me. Will doesn't even like me anymore and he's happy to be with Logan. It's not just Logan. He's happier with anyone other than me. All he does is fuss or cry when I hold him."

"It's going to take time for Will to adjust. He's not used to you. You need to spend more time with him. It's going to be hard at first, but it'll be ok in time. Just be here, ok?" Lorelai asked and placed his hand on her belly. "We're going to have two new babies soon and we're all going to need you. You're going to be here for us, right?"

"Absolutely" Luke nodded. "I'm so sorry, Lorelai. I love you and I want to be with you. I love our family and I'm not planning to go anywhere."

"Good" Lorelai nodded. "You're going to relax a bit too, right?"

"Yes." Luke agreed. "I'll call Rory and apologize."

"It might be more meaningful if you did it in person."

"Ok, I'll go see her right now."

"Good idea."

XXXXX

Logan and Rory sat on the couch in their apartment, not saying a word. They'd been home for ten minutes and neither had said anything.

Logan turned to look at Rory and frowned. "Ok, I'm sorry, but I have to say something. Are you ok?"

"I'm…." Rory hesitated and shook her head. "I don't know. My head is spinning, but mainly I'm just really angry and upset with Luke."

"He screwed up." Logan agreed.

"Yeah, royally." Rory huffed. "I always thought Luke was different. I thought he knew better than that. I trusted him."

"Different than who?"

"Than my Dad."

"Oh" Logan realized.

"I never thought Luke would turn out to be the same as my Dad. I thought Luke put family above everything else, but I was wrong. He puts whatever he wants first; just like my Dad." Rory said and clenched her jaw as she tried to maintain her composure. "I wanted Will to grow up with a Dad and have a close relationship with him. Luke abandoned Will just like my Dad abandoned me. The worst part is that Luke doesn't get it and he doesn't seem to care."

Logan nodded and wrapped his arm around her as he thought about the situation. "It sucks." He agreed. "Luke is like a second Dad to you and I'm really sorry he let you down."

"I'm beginning to wonder if that's just something men do."

"Not all men." Logan clarified. "I'm not going to do that to you."

"Not yet at least." Rory said and instantly regretted her words.

Logan sighed and shook his head. "Look, Rory, I'm not perfect, but I think you know me better than that. I didn't have the best example from my Dad, but I'm not like him. If anything, his bad behavior reinforced why I don't want to be like him. Rory, I love you and I really don't want to disappoint you or hurt you in any way."

"I know and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that about you." Rory apologized and reached out to hold his free hand. "I just wish things with Luke weren't so screwed up right now."

"I agree. I hope he sees his mistakes and makes up for it. He's a really lucky guy to have a family like Lorelai and Will. He needs to make sure he doesn't lose them after all of this."

There was a sudden knock at the door, which caused both Rory and Logan to frown. "Who's that?" Rory wondered as Logan stood up and went to answer the door.

Logan opened the door to reveal Luke standing there with his hands in his pockets.

"Logan" Luke nodded. "Is Rory here? I'd like to talk to her."

"She is, but I don't know if now is a great time to talk. I don't want you to upset her anymore than you already have."

"I want to apologize." Luke sighed. "I was way outta line back at the house."

Logan nodded and stepped aside so Luke could enter. Logan followed behind him and stood in the kitchen as Luke sat down on the opposite end of the couch from Rory.

"I'm sorry, Rory." Luke began as Rory crossed her arms and looked away. "You're right; I have been an ass. I haven't really tried to make up for my actions, I've just assumed that me being here would make up for everything. I owe you an apology and I need to show you that I'm going to make things right again. I'm not going anywhere and I'm going to find a way to make this better."

"Ok" Rory said and turned to face Luke.

"I'm sorry I took our relationship for granted." Luke said and sighed. "I love you, Rory. I've always thought of you like you were my own daughter and I'm so sorry I hurt you. Can you forgive me?"

Rory thought for a moment before nodding. "Yes."

"Ok" Luke said in relief. "I'm going to make this up to your Mom and Will too."

"Ok, that's great, but there's more to it. How are you going to be a part of Mom and Will's lives and also build relationships with David and Rebecca? What's going to happen when the twins are born? Are you going to freak out then?"

"No, I'm going to figure it out. It's overwhelming, but I'm going to be ok. Your Mom is great at helping me with stuff like that. We'll work something out together."

"Good because I worry about Mom sometimes and I don't want her to get hurt."

"I don't plan on hurting her." Luke said and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I love Lorelai."

"I know you do which is why I'm so upset about everything that's happened. I never thought you'd do something like that. I never thought you'd just leave."

"I was so confused." Luke tried to explain. "I'm back now and things are going to be different going forward."

"I hope so. If they aren't, I may have to punch you." Rory half joked and smiled at Luke.

"So, we're ok now?"

"Yes" Rory nodded and slid across the couch to hug Luke.

"Well, I should get going. It's getting late." Luke said after hugging Rory and standing up from the couch. "I'll see you both soon." He nodded as Logan waved from the kitchen.

Luke left the apartment and Logan locked the door after him.

"Are you really ok?" Logan asked Rory.

"Yeah, I feel a bit better now." Rory said. "I have this really odd feeling though. It's like Luke is holding something back. He's still not the same Luke he was before he found out about David and Rebecca."

"I kinda get that too." Logan agreed. "I don't know him all that well, but something just seems different. Maybe it's just going to take time for him to adjust to having two other kids."

"Maybe." Rory sighed. "Anyway, I don't really want to think about it anymore. Let's go to bed."

XXXXX

**AN: Thanks for reading! I apologize for the delay in updating, but life has been busy lately. You all probably thought this chapter was boring, but there is more drama coming back soon. Please review! I love your feedback!**


	12. Chapter 12

XXXXX

Luke spent the next week trying to get back into the swing of things with his family. He worked at the diner, brought lunch to Lorelai at The Dragonfly, bonded with Will, had Rory and Logan over for dinner, and called David several times. Things with David seemed to be going well and David planned to drive to Stars Hollow to spend a weekend with his new family. Luke really wanted Rebecca to come too, but the best he could do was leave a couple of voicemails. He was really frustrated with their relationship, but was coming to the realization that he couldn't force her to have a relationship with him. What he could do was continue to call her. The rest would have to be up to Rebecca; she was an adult after all.

David arrived Friday night just in time for dinner. Lorelai had convinced her parents that it just wasn't time for them to meet David yet and they surprisingly agreed and backed off for the night. Luke planned a nice dinner for everyone and hoped they could just relax and focus on getting to know one another better. Rory and Logan were invited, but couldn't make it, but promised to stop by Saturday afternoon.

The dinner went well and David seemed to enjoy himself; he even held Will for a while until they both fell asleep on the couch. Lorelai thought it was pretty cute until David started snoring and woke Will up. David apologized as Will cried in protest and was quickly taken into his room by Luke and Lorelai. Will was soon fast asleep in his crib and Lorelai and Luke joined David in the living room again.

"Sorry about that." David said.

"Don't worry about it." Luke shrugged. "He's asleep now and won't remember it in the morning."

"Yeah, don't worry." Lorelai agreed. "You seem pretty tired, so Luke and I are going to go upstairs and let you sleep. The couch is comfortable and we've got extra blankets. Unfortunately the bathroom is upstairs in our bedroom, but you can use it now if you want. We can set up the couch."

"Ok, I'll just take my stuff up there and be back in a second." David nodded and took his small duffle bag upstairs.

"Everything seems to be going well." Lorelai whispered after David ascended the stairs. "How are you feeling about it?"

"Good. It's going good." Luke agreed and helped her get the extra blankets out of the hall closet. "It's still a little awkward to have an adult Son all of a sudden."

"Well, for what it's worth, you're doing marvelously." Lorelai smiled. "David's a good kid and seems to be really interested in being a part of our family. I do have to say that it's a little awkward how much he looks like you. It's not really obvious at first, but the way he stands and his facial expressions are similar."

"That is kind of weird." Luke nodded.

Lorelai was about to make another comment, but David started walking down the stairs in his boxer briefs and a tight fitting t-shirt.

David noticed Lorelai starring as he stepped down from the bottom stair and walked to the couch. "Uh, sorry, I'm not really used to wearing formal pajamas, so I forgot to bring some. Sorry." He said and blushed as Lorelai continued to watch him.

"It's ok" Luke waved his hand and nudged Lorelai, causing her to shake out of her trance. She blushed slightly and looked down at the floor. "Well, good night, David. Holler if you need anything." Luke nodded and escorted Lorelai up the stairs.

"Goodnight!" Lorelai called over her shoulder before Luke shut their bedroom door.

"What was that all about!" Luke hissed.

"Sorry. Hormones I guess." She said and gave him her best puppy dog eyes.

"You were practically drooling over my Son, who also happens to be your Step-Son."

"Again, hormones. I see a good looking guy showing off his body and I just can't help it!" Lorelai protested. "Maybe if you show me your body it would distract me."

"Lorelai" Luke warned.

"Sorry" Lorelai said a bit more seriously. "It really is the hormones. I starred at Kirk the other day."

"Ok." Luke nodded and began to change his clothes as Lorelai walked into the bathroom to start her nightly routine.

A few minutes later Lorelai climbed into bed and snuggled closer to Luke.

"It was a really nice night, babe. I think David is a great addition to the family."

"He's a good kid. I'd like to take credit for some of that, but I can't. I think the only thing I can take credit for is the family resemblance."

"That's not your fault, remember?" Lorelai reminded him and hugged him tighter. "The past is the past; no matter how much it may suck. Now all you can do is move forward. That's what you should focus on."

"You're right." Luke agreed and kissed the top of her head. "Thank you for being so supportive and encouraging. Thank you for welcoming David into our family."

"You're welcome. David is your family and you're my family, so David's my family too."

"Huh?" Luke said and yawned.

"I don't know." Lorelai mumbled. "I'm sleepy."

"Goodnight." Luke whispered as Lorelai drifted off to sleep.

XXXXX

"Hey" David said as he walked up to Luke in the garage. Luke seemed to be in the middle of a search for a specific tool buried deep in the tool chest.

"Hey yourself." Luke said and continued his search.

"Luke, you haven't told Lorelai yet have you?" David asked and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Told her about what?"

David looked over his shoulder to make sure no one else was in the garage and leaned closer to Luke. "About your affair?"

Luke stopped, stood up straight, and crossed his arms over his chest like David had just done. "David, I don't know if that's the best idea right now. I'm just getting back into the swing of things right now. Plus, it's really going to kill Lorelai. I don't want her to be upset while she's pregnant."

"You've got to tell her." David insisted. "She's your wife. You can't just lie to her like that. How could you live with yourself?"

"David, you're not married so you don't understand." Luke shook his head. "It's better if she doesn't find out right now."

"Are you saying that you might never tell her? How could you live with yourself?"

"That's for me to worry about." Luke said and pointed to himself. "I appreciate your concern, but let me deal with this on my own."

"Ok, but I think you're making a huge mistake. I really think you should tell her." David shrugged and walked away.

XXXXX

David's words had been in the back of Luke's mind since their conversation two days ago. Nothing Luke did could shake the guilty feeling he had. Every time he looked at Lorelai the feeling intensified. He really wrestled with what to do, but came to the conclusion that David was right. He had to tell Lorelai about his affair with Rachel. Luke debated waiting until after she had the babies, but he didn't know if he could wait that long. So, he decided he would tell her after Will went to sleep.

"Lorelai, we need to talk about something." Luke said as he came down the stairs to find Lorelai sitting in the living room.

"Sure, what's up?"

"I need to talk to you about my trip to Florida. Remember how I told you I visited Rachel while I was in Florida?" Luke said and shoved his fists into his jeans pockets.

"Yeah. You said you really needed to work this out with her and hear her perspective. Did she explain everything to you?" Lorelai asked and rubbed her hand over her swollen belly.

"Yeah, yeah she did. She told me the whole story and her reasons for what she did."

"Do you feel better about everything now?" Lorelai questioned.

"Sort of. I'm mainly just confused now." Luke said. "That's not really what I wanted to talk about though. See, I, uh, I have to tell you something. I wasn't going to, but it's been eating me alive and I just can't live with the guilt."

"hun, what do mean?" Lorelai asked cautiously.

"I really don't know how to tell you this." Luke began and walked closer to the couch. "I saw Rachel in Florida and we started talking and seeing each other regularly. It's been years since we've seen each other, so we had a lot to catch up on. With having a hard time talking to Rebecca, I really needed someone to talk to and I turned to Rachel." Luke explained and slowly sat on the coffee table in front of Lorelai. He took a deep breath before finally saying, "One thing led to another and old feelings resurfaced. I never meant for anything to happen. Lorelai, I'm really sorry, but I….I….I slept with Rachel when I was in Florida." Luke said and hung his head as he waited for Lorelai to react.

Lorelai couldn't believe what she'd just heard Luke say. He'd cheated on her while he was in Florida and with Rachel of all people. Lorelai felt her face fall and all the blood drain from her body as she took in the news. She felt like her heart had stopped and the room was beginning to spin.

"Lorelai" Luke begged. "I really didn't mean for it to happen. It was just old feelings and it didn't mean anything." He said and placed a hand on her knee.

"Don't touch me." Lorelai spat and pushed his hand away. "You expect me to just forgive you because you and Rachel have a past?" Lorelai scoffed. "You had sex with Rachel while I'm here taking care of your Son and am pregnant with your twins!"

"I'm sorry Lorelai. It really didn't mean anything." Luke said and reached out to rub her thighs.

"You had sex with another woman." Lorelai said and pushed his hands away again.

"But it didn't mean anything. We were alone, I was emotional about Rebecca rejecting me, and Rachel started touching me, comforting me. Next thing I knew she was naked and I just reacted. I lost control. I didn't mean for it to happen. I regret that it happened."

"So, what, if you see a naked woman you can't help but have sex with her?" Lorelai scoffed. "Is that how you feel about me? It's just biology, not love? Don't tell me you're that shallow, Luke."

"I'm not!" Luke said in frustration. "That's what I'm trying to tell you, Lorelai. It's not just sex when I'm with you. I love you. I've never felt that with anyone else." Luke struggled to explain and cursed his inability to express his emotions. "I'm so sorry, Lorelai. I hate what I did and I want to make it right. I'm so sorry."

"No, this isn't something you can just say you didn't mean to do and expect me to forgive you. I don't even know you anymore, Luke. I understand that the appearance of David and Rebecca threw you for a loop. That's understandable, but the way you've been acting since then is not you. You've abandoned me and Will to pursue a relationship with your long lost kids." Lorelai steamed and stood up from the couch.

"That's not fair! I just met them and I need to spend time with them. They're twenty years old, Lorelai. I have to spend some time making up for my absence." Luke tried to explain.

"Fine then Luke. Go ahead. Go spend time with your kids. Just go leave me here and go have your perfect little family with Rachel." Lorelai yelled before walking away and going into Will's room. She quickly gathered a few of his things before storming out of the house and putting Will into his car seat. She turned to see Luke standing near the car with tears in his eyes. "I sure hope sex with Rachel was worth it, Luke." She huffed and got into the car.

"Lorelai, please wait." Luke said as she started to back out of the driveway.

"No. You've made it pretty clear that you'd rather have your other family." Lorelai spat before backing out of the driveway and quickly driving off.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: I'm so so sorry to have kept you all waiting this long for an update. I've had some bad writers block on this story. I hope you're all still wanting to read (and of course review)!**

XXXXX

"Mom?" Rory frowned when she opened her and Logan's apartment door to find her Mom standing there with Will in her arms.

"Can we stay here?" Lorelai asked, sounding like a small child.

"Uh, yeah, of course." Rory said and took her little brother while Lorelai went into the apartment and sat on the couch. "What's going on Mom?"

"Luke and I are done." Lorelai said simply as Rory joined her on the couch.

"What?"Rory asked in shock.

"We're done, finished, kaput." Lorelai said, still remaining calm.

"I don't understand. What happened?"

"Luke had an affair with Rachel."

"What?" Rory exclaimed. ".hell?"

"I don't know." Lorelai sighed. "I didn't spend a lot of time discussing it with him. I just had to get out of there. My head is still spinning."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. Honestly, I'd just like to go to bed, if that's ok with you."

"It's fine." Rory said. "The couch pulls out into a bed. We still have Will's extra pack 'n play, so he can sleep there. Sorry, but there isn't much privacy here. Logan will be home in a little while, but I'll call and give him a heads up so he isn't loud."

"Ok, thanks." Lorelai nodded.

"You're welcome. There are extra blankets in the closet next to the bathroom. Help yourself to whatever you need. There is an extra toothbrush under the bathroom sink. I have extra pajamas you can borrow." Rory offered.

"Thanks, hun."

"Looks like Will is just about out for the night." Rory noticed as Will's eyes closed and he yawned. "You ready for sleepy time, little brother?" Rory asked and rubbed his back. She carefully stood up and walked over to gently place him in the middle of her and Logan's bed. She helped Lorelai pull out the couch bed before setting up the pack 'n play for her brother to sleep in. Rory kissed her brother goodnight and gently laid him down. By the time she was done, Lorelai was fast asleep also. Rory brushed Lorelai's hair out of her face and kissed her forehead before pulling the blankets up around her. She then grabbed her cell phone off the kitchen counter and texted Logan.

About an hour later Logan quietly entered the apartment and walked over to where Rory was standing in the kitchen. She was standing at the counter staring over to where her Mom and brother were sleeping, her arms crossed and a frown on her face.

"Hey" Logan whispered and wrapped his arms around her waist as he stood behind her. "How are they?"

"I don't really know." Rory sighed. "Mom didn't want to talk about it and went straight to bed."

"Are you ok?"

"No" Rory said and shook her head. "I don't even know where to start on all of this. I can't believe Luke had an affair. I never thought…it just doesn't compute in my brain."

"I don't really know Luke, but he certainly doesn't seem like the type." Logan agreed.

"I'm so pissed at him." Rory said. "He had the perfect family and now he's just thrown it all away."

"What do you think is going to happen with your Mom?"

"She said it was over, so I'm pretty sure it really is. It's hard to imagine my Mom and Luke not together, especially after everything they've been through. I don't know that Mom will allow Luke to be in her life now that he's betrayed her like that."

"Luke really fucked this up." Logan sighed. "I feel bad. What can I do to help?"

"Help me look after Mom and Will for a while?" Rory asked and turned around to face him.

"Absolutely. I'll do everything I can." Logan nodded and kissed her forehead. "Anything I can do right now?"

"Not that I can think of."

"Breakfast." Logan said suddenly. "I'll make breakfast for everyone in the morning."

"That would be nice." Rory agreed. "I'm having a hard time thinking about all of this right now. Can we just go to bed and talk more tomorrow?"

"Sure. I'll just go get ready and meet you in bed."

XXXXX

Lorelai woke up at some point during the night and slowly got out of bed to head towards the bathroom. She noticed Logan sprawled out on the bed with Rory curled up against him. Rory looked so natural and peaceful sleeping next to him that Lorelai almost forgot what she had gotten up to do.

After finishing in the bathroom, she walked into the main room and checked on Will. He was also sleeping peacefully where Rory had laid him. It seemed as if Lorelai was the only one unable to sleep through the night. She got back into bed and sighed as she closed her eyes.

Lorelai couldn't get the image of Luke sitting in front of her, telling her about his affair, out of her mind. It kept repeating over and over as questions kept forming. Lorelai wanted to know every detail of the affair, but none of them all at the same time. She wanted to drive down to Florida and punch Rachel in the face. At one time Lorelai had actually liked Rachel and thought she was a good person. Now, she was furious that Rachel would sleep with her husband.

Her fast paced thinking came to a grinding halt as she felt the babies kick. Her hand instinctively rubbed her belly as she thought about them. She thought about how unfair it was for them. It was unfair for Will, too. Luke basically threw away their family with his betrayal, in Lorelai's mind. She wanted to have it all with Luke, but that was all over now. In a few months the twins would be born and Lorelai would be a single Mother of three. _Three_. That thought scared her. It worried her. She'd been a single Mom before and swore she would never do it again. Not only was she doing it again, but she was older and doing it with three instead of one. She worried about how she'd make it all work financially. Three kids would be expensive. She also worried about having enough time to give each child the attention they deserved.

Lorelai stared up at the ceiling and worried. She couldn't stop worrying. Slowly, she willed herself to relax enough to fall into a less than satisfying sleep.

XXXXX

Rory and Logan had woken up and immediately began getting breakfast ready. Will woke up shortly after and fussed until Rory changed his diaper and started to feed him apple sauce for breakfast.

"Open up" Rory joked as she inserted a spoonful of apple sauce in her brother's mouth.

Logan smiled from his spot at the stove as he watched the interaction. "Can he feed himself?"

"He can try, but I'd rather not have apple sauce all over the kitchen. He tends to get a spoon in his hand and just fling food everywhere. I like to make sure it actually goes into his mouth." Rory said.

"That makes sense." Logan nodded and flipped a couple pancakes onto a plate. "Can Will eat pancakes?"

"I'll give him a couple bites of mine." Rory said as Logan set the plate down on the table next to her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Lorelai slowly woke up and sat up on the couch as she turned to see where the sound of Will giggling was coming from. If anyone else had walked into the room at that moment, they would have assumed Rory, Logan, and Will were a young family enjoying breakfast together. Lorelai was incredibly thankful that Rory and Logan were so willing to step in, but it broke her heart that it wasn't her and Luke in their places.

"Oh, hey" Rory said as she noticed her Mom was awake. "Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine. I couldn't really sleep anyway." Lorelai sighed. "Sounds like Will's enjoying himself."

"I think he is." Rory smiled.

"Good. Do you mind keeping him entertained for a minute while I take a quick shower?"

"No problem." Rory nodded. "There are extra toiletries under the bathroom sink. Help yourself to whatever you need. Extra towels are in the hall closet."

"Ok, thanks." Lorelai nodded and slowly got up off the couch before making her way to the bathroom.

"Logan, would you mind taking Will out for a while after breakfast? I'd like to try and talk to Mom about what happened last night."

"Sure, not a problem." Logan nodded. "I think Will can handle dealing with me for a couple hours."

"Thank you" Rory said and kissed him as he swiftly refilled her coffee cup. "I have to say I'm really impressed that you just offered to take care of a baby for a few hours."

"Yeah? Is it an attractive feature?" Logan joked and raised an eyebrow.

"Actually, it is." Rory smirked. "You look really cute with a baby in your arms."

"mmm" Logan hummed and scooped Rory up into a passionate kiss.

"Whoa" Rory said when their lips parted. "I said you looked cute with a baby, not that I want to make one."

"Bite your tongue." Logan whispered.

Rory was about to pull Logan in for another kiss, but they were interrupted by Will throwing a piece of pancake at them.

"Looks like someone doesn't like to be ignored." Rory laughed and released her grip on Logan before quickly picking Will up. He leaned forward and planted a syrupy kiss on Rory's cheek.

"How sweet" Logan joked and laughed at his own cleverness.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Rory rolled her eyes.

XXXXX

Rory sat on the couch sipping a cup of coffee when Lorelai came out of the bathroom. "Good Morning. Feel better?"

"A little."

"What can I get you for breakfast?"

"Nothing, I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat something. You've got to do it for the babies at least." Rory insisted. "Oatmeal ok? I started making it when you were in the shower. Would you like fruit or nuts with cinnamon on top?"

"Nuts and cinnamon." Lorelai agreed reluctantly.

Rory set her coffee cup down and went to retrieve her Mom's breakfast. Lorelai swiftly grabbed Rory's cup and drank a few sips before Rory returned.

"Hey, you stole my coffee." Rory pouted. "Give that back."

"You'd really take coffee from a pregnant lady?"

"I should."

"I'm allowed one cup in the morning." Lorelai rolled her eyes. Rory handed her a bowl of oatmeal and a spoon before going to get another cup of coffee.

Rory sat down and took a deep breath before diving right into what was on her mind. "So, Mom…you've got to tell me what happened last night."

"Where's Will?"

"Logan took him out for a while so we could talk." Rory explained. "You're not getting out it that easily. Tell me what happened."

"Rory…"

"Mom"

"Fine" Lorelai gave in. "I guess I just don't know what to say. It's all still a blur to me. Luke came downstairs and wanted to talk. He admitted that he had an affair with Rachel when he was in Florida trying to see Rebecca."

"I don't understand." Rory shook her head. "Why would Luke do something so stupid? He loves you and he loves Will. He hasn't seen Rachel in years, so why would he just sleep with her?"

"I don't know. It brings up so many questions. Luke insisted that it was a foolish error that he deeply regrets, but I'm not so sure. Has he loved her all this time? Was I just a temporary part of his life? Why did we get married if we weren't on the same page? I honestly wasn't ever expecting something like this to ever happen. I thought Luke and I would be happy forever."

"Can I please punch Luke?" Rory fumed. "I'm serious. He totally screwed up. He threw away your family."

"I'm so angry and confused, but yet…I still love him. Is that crazy? I can't help but love him even as my heart is breaking."

"Mom" Rory sighed and reached over to hold her Mom's hand.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be burdening you with all of this."

"It's fine." Rory sighed. "You don't have to explain everything. I'm sorry for pushing you."

"It's ok…I'm just still processing." Lorelai said and leaned against Rory. Rory lifted her arm and wrapped it around her Mom's shoulders as they sat silently on the couch.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter!**

XXXXX

"Have you considered any names for the babies yet?" Rory asked as she handed her Mom a bowl of popcorn and sat down on the couch next to her.

"Sort of." Lorelai shrugged. "With everything that's going on with Luke, I'm not sure what to do. This is such a different experience than with Will. Luke was there every step of the way and this time he's not. Should I just pick names and then run them by Luke or what? I'm not really sure."

"Yeah" Rory nodded. "Well, how about we just come up with some names you like? Not a permanent list, just random names you like. Just what you like, not what you're going to name them."

"That sounds like a good idea." Lorelai nodded. "Logan, will you bring us a notebook please?" She asked over her should as Logan finished the last batch of popcorn in the kitchen. "Are there any names you like, Rory?" Lorelai wondered.

"I haven't really thought about it much." Rory answered. "I guess I like Andrew for a boy and Emma for a girl."

"Really, those are just off the top of your head?" Lorelai smiled, knowing her daughter had thought about an Andrew and Emma running around, looking a lot like she and Logan. Rory hadn't really discussed it out loud, but Lorelai knew she'd been thinking about it by the gleam in her eyes. "I wouldn't want to take your names or anything." Lorelai joked.

"You're not stealing anything." Rory tried to insist as Logan sat next to her on the couch and passed a notebook to Lorelai.

"Don't worry, I'm not freaked out that you've thought about kids." Logan smiled and wrapped his arm around Rory. "I've thought about it."

"Really?" Rory said in shock.

"Yeah, I've thought about us having a couple little mini-me's and mini-you's running around. Of course, I also picture a bigger living space, both of us having good jobs, and being married." Logan shrugged.

"I can't believe you've thought about all that." Rory smiled. "That's so sweet. Wait, you want a couple mini-each-of-us's? Just how many are you thinkin', Mister?"

"I don't know. Maybe three or four kids total."

"Uh, yeah, that sounds like a lot." Rory smiled. "I like two: Andrew and Emma."

"It's certainly up for discussion, but I like Eli, Huck, Jenna, and Megan. However, I'd be willing to consider adding Andrew and Emma to that list." Logan joked as Rory shook her head.

"Six kids? No way." She insisted.

"I know, I know. I'm totally kidding about that." Logan laughed. "A couple would be really nice though."

"Well, we'll have to think about that." Rory nodded. "Although, I'm not so sure about the name 'Huck'."

"That's such a cool name though." Logan insisted. "Like Huck Finn from the book."

"You would." Lorelai interjected and laughed at the exchange.

"You can take two of those names, get them off my plate." Rory joked.

"No, you should keep them all. I think it would be fun to watch you try and handle six kids." Lorelai laughed.

"How about you have the six kids. You've already got two, plus two on the way. What's two more after that?" Rory reasoned.

"I'm pretty sure these are going to be my last." Lorelai smiled. "I love you and your brother and these two, but I'm getting way too old to keep having kids."

"Well, you never know." Rory shrugged. "But I seriously doubt I'll be having six kids."

"That would be pretty crazy. I don't know that I could handle that." Logan laughed. "But making all those kids would be fun."

Rory smirked and held Logan's hand before saying, "ok, let's keep this 'Mother appropriate'."

"Exactly" Lorelai agreed. "Let's get back to naming my two little guys."

"Speaking of guys…do you know the genders yet?" Rory asked.

"Not yet. I don't know if I want to find out or not." Lorelai explained. "It goes back to not wanting to make a decision without Luke. We were both so excited for Will that we found out as soon as we could. It was fun knowing we were having a boy, but we also agreed that it would be fun to have it be a complete surprise."

"So that means we need to come up with at least two girl names and two boy names?"

"That Yale education is really paying off." Lorelai nodded.

"Ok, girls first!" Rory exclaimed and wrote 'Girl Names' on the top of a sheet of paper.

"I like Chelsea, Sarah, Grace, and Ashlyn." Lorelai said.

"Lilly and Whitney are good too." Rory noted. "How do you feel about Victoria?"

"Eh, I don't know. It's my middle name and I'm not sure I want to pass on that particular name. It's so formal and rigid."

"Not if you call her 'Tori' for short."

"That's not too bad. Add it to the list and we'll think about it." Lorelai agreed.

"I like Logan's idea of 'Jenna'. That's a feminine, yet strong name." Rory added as she finished writing.

"All good names." Logan agreed. "Ready for some boy names?"

"Yup" Rory nodded and turned the page to start making a new list. "Logan, what are your thoughts?"

"What about Joshua?"

"I like that." Lorelai smiled. "I really like that…Joshua."

"What about Richard? Nice family name?" Rory asked.

"Maybe as a middle name." Lorelai said. "I think Richard is a bit formal, plus my Father and I are not really that close."

"Ok, do you have any names in mind?"

"hhhmmm…Ethan, Caleb, Landon, and Ryan." Lorelai said. "Add Daniel to the list also."

"All good choices." Rory nodded as she wrote. "Can I also suggest Nathan, Matthew, Tyler, and Phillip?"

"Add them." Lorelai nodded. "I think that's a good list for now. I'm going to have to think about it before making a decision. Heck, I don't even know if I should be making a decision. It feels wrong that Luke isn't involved in the choosing of their names."

"That makes sense, but when are you actually going to sit down and discuss it? You still haven't talked since you left." Rory pointed out.

"I don't know." Lorelai sighed. "At this point, I just don't know."

XXXXX

An entire week had gone by since Luke had admitted his betray to Lorelai. It had mostly been a blur to Lorelai as she still tried to grapple with the concept. Luke had tried to contact her and even went as far as to show up at Rory and Logan's apartment. Fortunately, Rory was the only one home and insisted that he wasn't welcome in her home. Luke had reluctantly left and agreed to leave Lorelai alone until she was ready to talk. Lorelai wasn't anywhere near ready to talk to Luke. She wasn't even ready to talk to Rory about what happened.

Emily and Richard eventually found out about the situation and went ballistic. Lorelai had to beg her Father to keep from driving to Stars Hollow and murdering Luke on the spot. Emily was shocked, but managed to remain somewhat calm. She insisted that Lorelai and Will come live with her and Richard. They appreciated everything Rory and Logan had done, but didn't think it was suitable for the four of them to be living in a one bedroom apartment.

Lorelai reluctantly agreed. She really didn't want to move in with her parents, but she couldn't keep living with Rory and Logan. So, she packed up her things and moved back into her old bedroom. It was a bit overwhelming, but once Lorelai redecorated a bit it was ok. Will seemed to be adjusting well, but Lorelai sensed that he missed Luke.

"Lorelai?" Richard asked as he walked past her bedroom and saw her day dreaming.

"Yes, Dad?"

"I have an update on the lawyer I hired."

"You hired a lawyer?" Lorelai frowned.

"Yes, for the divorce." Richard stated.

"What? What divorce?" Lorelai shouted.

"From Luke." Richard stated again. "You don't mean to tell me that you're actually going to go back to him, do you? Lorelai, you can't be serious. This man had an affair while you are pregnant with his twins. He essentially abandoned you and William. There is no way you can honestly want to go back to him."

"I don't know." Lorelai frowned. "This is all happening so fast and I don't know what to do. I need more time to think about it."

"So you want me to call off the lawyer?"

"Can you put him on hold for now?" Lorelai questioned.

"I suppose." Richard said and thought for a moment. "I'll have him draw up all the papers, but hold onto them while you think it over. Once you make up your mind I'll inform him of your decision."

"Thanks, Dad." Lorelai said and rubbed her pregnant belly.

Richard started to walk away, but stopped and looked back at her. "Oh, how are you feeling today? Can I get you anything?"

Lorelai couldn't help but smile at her Dad's thoughtfulness, even if it was practically an afterthought. "Is there any leftover desert from last night? I could totally go for a slice of that chocolate cake."

"Coming right up!" Richard said and dashed off toward the kitchen.

Lorelai sighed and thought about what her Father had just said. She'd thought about it too; divorcing Luke. She felt like it was what everyone expected, but somehow, deep down it didn't feel right. Nothing felt right. Being in Rory's house, being in her parent's house, it just wasn't right. She felt so out of place everywhere she went. Her mind felt fuzzy and out of control as she tried to sort it all out.

Lorelai frowned as she looked at the clock and realized her Dad had been gone for several minutes. She was happy he'd offered to get her a snack, but it shouldn't take that long to retrieve it. Her curiosity quickly led her down the stairs and toward the kitchen. She didn't see Richard there, so she walked toward the only other place in the house he could be; his office. Lorelai slowly crept toward the door and stopped when she saw him sitting at his desk frowning at the telephone.

"Dad?" Lorelai whispered.

"Lorelai, come in, have a seat." He said and waited as she followed his instructions. "I've just had a call from Luke."

"What did he say?" Lorelai quickly asked.

"He wanted to know if you and Will were safe and he wanted to talk about your living situation."

"Ok, what does that mean?"

"He's moving into the apartment above his Diner." Richard explained. "He wants you and Will to have the house so you don't have to be away from your home."

"Oh…ok." Lorelai frowned.

"Indeed." Richard nodded.

"So…I should move back, I guess."

"How about you give it a few days. I'll go check and make sure he's left before you move back."

"Ok, that's probably best." Lorelai nodded.

"Ok, so that's that." Richard agreed and then suddenly realized why Lorelai had come downstairs. "Oh, I forgot about your chocolate cake. Shall we go into the kitchen?"

"Sure" Lorelai nodded and followed along as Richard led the way.

They were each soon involved in eating their own piece of cake at the kitchen table.

"What's going on in here?" Emily asked as she entered with a crying Will in her arms. "What has gotten into you two? Eating chocolate cake in the kitchen while William's upstairs by himself? Honestly, I don't know what to do with you two. If I hadn't come home from my luncheon early and found William up there, it could have been hours before either of you noticed. He's obviously hungry for lunch. How could you just ignore a screaming baby!" Emily spat and began to warm a bottle for her Grandson.

"Sorry, Mom." Lorelai said and lowered her head.

Emily sighed and shook her head before leaving with Will as soon as his bottle was ready.


	15. Chapter 15

David parked his car outside the diner and carried his duffle bag inside. He put his bag down and sat at the counter until Luke came out from the kitchen.

"Hey" David smiled and crossed his arms on the counter.

"Hey, David. Good to see you. Coffee?" Luke asked and began to pour a cup for him without waiting for a response.

"Thanks, Luke." David said as Luke slid the cup toward him.

"So, what do you want to do this weekend?"

"I don't know. I have a little bit of studying to do, but it shouldn't take too long. What do you and Lorelai have going on?"

Luke stiffened as he realized David had no idea about his recent separation with Lorelai. "Uh, well. I don't know. She's sort of not here right now. She and Will are staying with her parents."

"What? What happened?" David gasped.

Luke looked around and jerked his head up toward the stairs while David followed him. Once they were inside the apartment Luke shut the door and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I told Lorelai about the affair. She got really upset and left me."

"As in left you forever?"

"I don't know, but she won't talk to me. She was staying with Rory and Logan before she moved into her parents' place. I called her Dad a couple days ago and told him I was moving out of our house. If anyone should move, it's me."

"Ok, do you need help with moving stuff?"

"Yeah, actually that would be good. Do you mind?"

"No, it's totally fine. Want to get it over with tonight?"

"I suppose. That way Lorelai can move back in tomorrow." Luke agreed. "You want some dinner first?"

"Sure" David nodded and followed Luke back downstairs.

XXXXX

"So, that's everything?" David asked as he carried a box of Luke's clothes down the stairs.

"I guess." Luke shrugged. "This kind of sucks."

"Well, you deserve it." David blurted out.

"What?" Luke frowned.

"You deserve it. You cheated on your wife, so you deserve to get kicked out of the house." David stated.

"I don't think you really know what you're talking about, David."

"I know how not to cheat on my wife."

"You're not married." Luke pointed out.

"No, but I would never cheat on any woman I was with, ever. It's not that hard of a concept, Luke." David said and narrowed his eyes.

"Look David, you're young and you have no idea how complicated relationships are."

"Complicated? You think your situation was complicated? What about me? I'm caught in the middle of all this. You had an affair with my Mom. How am I supposed to handle all of this? I'm pissed at both of you and I feel horrible for Lorelai and Will. Did you even consider their feelings before you jumped into someone else's bed?"

"It wasn't like that, David. The affair was a mistake. I didn't do it on purpose!" Luke spat.

"You don't even care how this is affecting your family! Do you not understand how devastating this is for everyone? What about Will, huh? You basically just tore apart his entire family. I know what it's like to grow up in a family like that, Luke. It totally sucks and I'm so angry that you're changing his entire life and he has zero say in it." David fumed.

"I'm not tearing the family apart! It was a mistake and I wish I could take it back, David. I told Lorelai about it because I want to salvage our family. Isn't it better to work through it now rather than keep it a secret forever?"

David scoffed and shook his head. "You're so selfish. You think that Lorelai should forgive you for cheating on her?"

"I don't know why, but I thought that maybe she would. Maybe she'd understand because it was with Rachel. I didn't expect her to just accept it, but I thought that with time, she'd maybe forgive me." Luke sighed. "I was such a fool."

"Seriously." David agreed. "I know I'm hard on you, Luke, but it's just because I care about you."

Luke nodded and scratched his head while trying to think of what to say next.

"So, what happens now?" David asked. "You move out of this place and into the apartment above the diner; then what?"

"I don't know." Luke shook his head. "I guess it's up to Lorelai." 

"You're a fool, you know." David said. "You've thrown away what so many men would commit murder to have."

XXXXX

Rory picked Lorelai up for lunch Saturday afternoon, while Emily agreed to watch Will. Rory knew Lorelai had been stressed out recently and thought a little time away would cheer her up. However, Lorelai sat in silence as Rory drove. She answered Rory's questions with short and simple questions until they parked in front of a local coffee shop.

"I found this great coffee shop a couple weeks ago. They have really good sandwiches, so it sounded like a nice lunch spot."

"Sounds good." Lorelai nodded and got out of the car.

There ordered and quickly found a table before one of the waitresses brought two Reuben sandwiches, extra pickles, a coffee and an iced tea.

"No coffee, huh?" Rory frowned at her Mother's iced tea.

"No, I've been trying to lay off the coffee for the sake of these two." She said and rubbed her belly before taking a big bite of her sandwich. "This is amazing."

"Yeah, really good." Rory agreed and watched her Mother take another big bite. "Geez, the way you're devouring that thing you should name a baby after it. If one of them is a boy, that is. Reuben Danes." Rory laughed as Lorelai rolled her eyes.

"Actually, I do like the sound of that." Lorelai grinned. "Luke would probably kill me though."

"You've talked to Luke lately?" Rory said with surprise and hope in her voice.

"No" Lorelai shook her head. "I have been having a lot of conversations with your Grandparents though."

"Oh…what's it like being back in their house? Are you doing ok there, because you can always come back to mine and Logan's place if you need to."

"It's really strange being back, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be." Lorelai shrugged before finishing off the last of her sandwich. "We're actually getting along pretty well. Grandma is enjoying Will a lot, which is somewhat surprising. She plays with him most of the afternoon when she's not out. Grandpa and I have been having some serious discussions about my future."

"So, you've thought more about what you're going to do?"

"I have." Lorelai nodded and took a deep breath. "I've had several sleepless nights over what I'm going to do, over what is best for Will and the twins. It's hard to make a decision like this that will have a permanent effect on many lives, but I think I've just got to do it. Rory, this isn't easy, but I've come to the conclusion that Luke and I are done."

"Ok, but you've said that before. What does that really mean?" Rory frowned. "Over as in getting a divorce or you're just going to separate for a while?"

"I'm filing for divorce." Lorelai nodded sadly. "I love Luke, but I don't think I can ever forgive him for betraying me. I want to be with him for Will and the twins' sake, but I don't think that's enough; that I'll be happy in the long run. It's not good for them if I'm trapped in an unhappy marriage."

"Yeah" Rory nodded and leaned back in her chair as she took Lorelai's word's in. "Mom, I'm sorry." She blurted out suddenly. "This sucks and I'm sorry you're in this position. I hate Luke for doing this to you."

"Babe, you don't have to hate Luke. I know you two love each other as if you were related, so don't throw all that away just for me."

"But he ruined your middle." Rory insisted. "Just when you had it all, he threw it away. I wanted you to have it all, so of course I'm pissed at him. He should die a slow painful death."

"Whoa, ok kid. That's a bit dark." Lorelai said and covered Rory's hand with her own. "I'm not sure how everything will all work out, but I still want Luke to be Will and the twins' Dad. They should know him and have a relationship with him. I don't think I could ever deny him that. I just won't be his wife anymore."

"So, what now?" Rory wondered. "Do you have to go to court or something?"

"Grandpa is taking care of all that. He's got an attorney drafting the papers. I guess if Luke agrees to all the terms, we don't really have to have a huge blow out in court. Our attorney's can appear before the judge and we'll just sign everything."

"That's it? Just like that; a marriage dissolved?"

"It seems surreal." Lorelai agreed. "Of course, Dad did give me a stern lecture for not having a prenuptial agreement. He insists that all this would be a much easier process if I'd thought things through before marrying Luke."

"I would have thought you were nuts if you'd had Luke sign a prenup before the wedding. Never in a million years did I think this sort of thing would happen between you two. Luke was always faithful and loyal."

"Apparently not when it comes to old girlfriends. I suppose I'm just supposed to look the other way and shrug it off as him re-living his youth."

"It's way more than that." Rory said.

"I agree." Lorelai nodded before looking down at Rory's half eaten sandwich. "Are you going to finish that Reuben?"

"No, I'm getting a stomach ache thinking about all this. Go ahead and finish it off." Rory said and slid her plate across the table. "I hope little Reuben likes his sandwich." She joked and picked up the sandwich.

"Maybe I should name one of them Reuben. It would be worth it just to see the look on your Grandmother's face." Lorelai grinned.

"I actually do like that name. Maybe you should do it. Plus, it would be a good story for the kid; 'you were named after a sandwich!'." Rory laughed. "oh, if you and Luke are getting divorced, what will the twins' last name be? Are you going back to Gilmore?"

"I haven't decided yet. I was thinking the twins should have Danes as their last name. It would be kind of strange if their last name was different than Will's when they all have the same parents." Lorelai said. "Plus, I just sort of think kids should have their Dad's last name. Is that really lame and old fashioned?"

"I don't have my Dad's last name." Rory pointed out.

"Things were much different back then; I was much different. Do you wish you would have had Christopher's last name?"

Rory thought for a moment before responding, "No, I don't think so. I like Gilmore better than Hayden. It's not like Dad was around much when I was growing up anyways, so the Hayden thing would have been a little confusing."

"That's exactly what I don't want for the twins. I want them to know Luke, not just from a distance."

"You're being very generous to Luke. If it were me, I'd cut him off completely."

"I've definitely thought about that." Lorelai admitted. "But I can't do that to the kids. They don't deserve to suffer because of what happened between Luke and I."

"Maybe I'll understand that someday." Rory nodded and looked at the clock on the wall. "Do you think we should get back? Grandma is probably wondering where we are."

"Yeah, let's go."


	16. Chapter 16

XXXXX

Emily frowned as she walked down the hallway to her bedroom. She stopped and listened before realizing the noise she heard was the sound of crying coming from Lorelai's bedroom. She slowly opened the door and confirmed her suspicions.

"Lorelai?" Emily whispered as she approached the bed. "Lorelai, are you alright?"

Lorelai didn't say anything, but attempted to clear her throat and stop crying.

"Lorelai" Emily said again as she reached out and gently brushed Lorelai's hair out of her face. "What's the matter, Lorelai?"

"Nothing" Lorelai lied. "Sorry to wake you up."

"You didn't wake me up. I was just heading to bed. I heard a noise and had to check it out." Emily explained. "Tell me what's wrong."

"It's everything with Luke." Lorelai admitted and finally rolled over to look at her Mother.

Emily nodded and sat down on the bed as Lorelai sat up and leaned against the headboard. Emily grabbed the box of tissues from the bedside table and handed it to Lorelai. "What's wrong, Lorelai?"

"Luke and I are over." Lorelai said and used a tissue to wipe her eyes. "I still love him though. It hurts so much to have all of this happening."

"I thought you agreed that a divorce would be best? I can get your Father to call the lawyers off if you've changed your mind."

"No, I haven't changed my mind. I can't trust Luke. He betrayed me." Lorelai admitted. "He came home after being gone so long and I was really happy he was back. His absence was really irritating, but I honestly hoped we could work through it. He seemed really willing to do that and play an active role in the family. Then he just dropped a huge bomb on me and blew my life up. He acted like it wasn't that big of a deal, but it was a huge deal to me. I just wish none of this had happened, Mom. Luke and I were crazy about each other for years and we finally got it together and got married. Everything was perfect; we were in love and we had Will. I was getting my middle and then it was all ripped away. It hurts so much. I feel like my life has just be taken away from me and I've had no say about it." Lorelai said as tears streamed down her face.

Emily pulled Lorelai into a hug and began to rub her back as Lorelai sobbed. "It's not fair, Lorelai." Emily agreed. "It's not fair at all."

XXXXX

Emily sat at the dining room table eating breakfast and sipping coffee. Richard had already gone for the day due to an early meeting. Emily had the maid put out several Danish pastries next to Lorelai's place at the table, hoping it would make her feel a little better after last night. Will had woken up early, but after a bottle and diaper change went back to sleep.

Emily smiled as Lorelai entered the room in pajamas and a bathrobe.

"I know, I know." Lorelai said and held up her hands. "I'm not dressed appropriately."

"It's fine." Emily nodded. "It's only breakfast, Lorelai. I put out some Danish, like you always like."

"Thanks" Lorelai mumbled and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Honestly, Lorelai." Emily huffed. "What is wrong with you? Why is your attitude so terrible this morning?"

"Nothing." Lorelai mumbled.

"It's obviously something." Emily insisted.

"Nothing…just Luke." Lorelai admitted.

"It's perfectly understandable that you're still upset, but that doesn't mean you can take it out on me."

"No, I'm not upset, I'm pissed at him." Lorelai clarified. "I thought it over and realized that it's time to move on. Call Dad and tell him to sick the lawyers on Luke. I'm done."

Emily was shocked by Lorelai's abrupt change of heart. She knew Lorelai was devastated by Luke's actions, but she hadn't expected Lorelai to be so angry.

"I mean it." Lorelai insisted. "Crying about it isn't going to change anything. It's time that Luke be punished for what he's done."

"Lorelai, this isn't something you should do lightly. Once you go down that road, there is no turning back."

"I realize that, Mom. I don't see any other way around all this. I can't continue to be married to Luke. We have to end it."

"Ok, but don't make it too difficult for the future. If you want the children to have a relationship with their father, don't do something now that will prevent that."

"Oh, Luke can have a relationship with them if he wants, just not with me."

"Ok" Emily nodded. "I'll call your Father at lunch time and have him take care of things."

XXXXX

Lorelai set Will down in his crib and looked around his room. They had just walked into her house after being gone. _Her house_. Lorelai repeated in her mind. It would no longer be owned by her and Luke after the divorce was finalized.

When Luke and Lorelai got married, Lorelai brought home paperwork to add Luke's name to the property deed. Luke was touched by the gesture, but couldn't accept it without doing something in return. He'd looked at his own finances and made a large payment on the house, almost the equivalent of what Lorelai had paid since she first bought it. Now, it would go back to being just hers, like it was before they married.

Lorelai sighed and tucked a blanket around Will before quietly exiting his bedroom and shutting the door.

"Is he finally asleep?" Rory asked from her spot on the couch. Rory had insisted on escorting her Mother back to the house, just in case Luke was there when they arrived. The last thing Rory wanted was Luke showing up and upsetting her Mom.

"Yes, he's passed out in there." Lorelai smiled. "I think he knows he's home again."

"Good." Rory nodded. "Logan's planning to come over and cook dinner, so you could go upstairs and take a nap until he comes, if you want."

"Thanks, but I'm actually not tired. It feels good to be back here. It will be different and strange to be alone here, but it's a good place to start over." Lorelai said and leaned against Rory. "You and I did pretty well on our own here."

"We did." Rory agreed. "I'm sure you'll be just fine with Will and the two little no names in there." Rory smiled and poked her Mom's belly. "Hey, when are you going to find out their genders?"

"I'm not sure." Lorelai shrugged. "I can find out at any time I want, according to the doctor. I just wasn't sure if I should wait for Luke, but now that we're not going to be together, I don't see a reason to wait. To be honest, Luke hasn't really been all that involved with this pregnancy, other than making it happen in the first place. I don't see why he should be involved now."

"I understand your decision, but that's a tough road to go down. Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes." Lorelai insisted. "Luke can be there when they're born, but he needs to initiate any other sort of contact."

"Ok, I can respect that." Rory agreed.

"So, that means I'll find out the twins' genders at my appointment next week." Lorelai smiled. "You want to come with? You might as well, I'll just call you right after anyway."

"Sure, I'd love to come." Rory agreed. "It will be fun knowing right away."

XXXXX

Lorelai sat anxiously on the examination table in her OB/GYN's office. She looked over at Rory sitting in a chair nearby. Lorelai was about to crack a joke, but he doctor entered the room, interrupting them.

"So, Lorelai, How are you feeling?" Dr. Kelly Mason asked and smiled at Lorelai.

"Fine. Huge, but fine." Lorelai smiled and rubbed her belly. "This is my daughter, Rory." Lorelai said and gestured to where Rory was sitting.

"Nice to meet you, Rory. I'm Dr. Mason." She smiled and shook Rory's hand.

"Nice to meet you too." Rory nodded.

The doctor quickly began the examination while Rory tried not to look too closely or pay attention to the questions her Mom was answering.

"Ok, Rory come have a look at this." Dr. Mason said and moved the ultra sound wand around Lorelai's belly.

"Whoa. You can see them." Rory said and moved to hold her Mom's hand as she stood by her side.

"They're getting big." The doctor nodded. "Just over seven months."

"Can you tell what they are?" Lorelai asked anxiously.

"They're babies." The doctor joked. "Sorry, that was a bad joke. You sure you want to know their genders?"

"Yes" Lorelai nodded.

"Ok" The doctor nodded and moved the wand again. "Baby A is…a boy." She said and pointed to the screen.

"A little brother for Will." Rory smiled and squeezed Lorelai's hand.

"Baby B is….also a boy." The doctor said and she looked at the ultra sound screen.

"Wow, two more boys?" Lorelai asked.

"You think you can handle it?" Rory joked.

"I think so." Lorelai smiled. "I know a thing or two about boys now."

"Well, you're all set." The doctor said and used a paper towel to wipe the gel off Lorelai's stomach. "Congratulations on the boys."

When they were back in the car, Rory started the engine and drove toward a nearby coffee shop. "I thought we'd have a celebratory cup of coffee." Rory explained.

"Sounds good to me." Lorelai agreed. "I have to start spoiling you now."

"Why?" Rory frowned.

"Because you're my only daughter."

"Ok…I've always been your only daughter."

"Yeah, but now it's official."

"Not necessarily."

"Yes, these two are definitely my last." Lorelai said firmly. "After this, it's on to grandchildren. Hey! That's what you can do; give me a granddaughter!"

"Whoa, I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself." Rory said. "That's like years into the future."

"Right. Exactly when I'll want to have another baby around." Lorelai smiled as Rory rolled her eyes.

"We'll see."

"Yes, we certainly will." Lorelai said as Rory parked her car outside the coffee shop.

"Ugh. I just realized something." Lorelai sighed. "I'll have to get a new car now. It's hard enough getting Will in and out of the Jeep. I can't do it with three little ones."

"Oh, that's true." Rory thought. "I have no idea what kind of car is good for kids. Logan likes cars, maybe he can help?"

"Maybe." Lorelai nodded. "He likes sports cars though."

"I'm sure he could still help. I'll persuade him." Rory smiled.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that." Lorelai frowned. "I don't like connotations of that."

"If you want Grandchildren, Logan and I have to do that."

"I don't have to know about it." Lorelai pointed out.

"Oh look, we're next in line." Rory changed the subject as they ordered coffee. "Two coffees please." Rory said as Lorelai went to get them a table.

Once they were seated and sipping their coffee, Rory brought up the subject that had been on her mind since they left the doctor's office. "So, have you thought about names for the boys?"

"Yeah, I have a couple in mind." Lorelai explained. "I still like the name Reuben, but Brayden has recently moved up in the ranks."

"I realize I don't have a ton of say in this, but I've been thinking of names too." Rory admitted. "I really like Joshua and Colby."

"Colby? What? You can name him after a cheese, but I can't name him after a sandwich?" Lorelai gasped in mock anger.

"I suppose Reuben is a nice name." Rory gave in. "Add it to the list."

"Good, because it's really growing on me." Lorelai smiled and looked at her watch. "Oh, we should probably get going. I'm sure Logan's sick of watching Will by now."

"They're fine." Rory said calmly as she got up from her seat and walked toward the door with Lorelai in tow. "Logan and Will are practically best friends."

"I know. Hard to imagine playboy Logan would be best friends with a one year old." Lorelai smirked. "You certainly changed him. Better watch out though; Logan's going to catch 'baby fever' if he's around that kid too much."

"Mom, stop." Rory protested.

"I've seen the look in Logan's eye. He'll want a baby before you know it." Lorelai smiled.

XXXXX

**AN: Thanks for reading and reviewing! Ok, here's your shot to have input into this story…submit your ideas for the twins' names. I've already mentioned a few thus far, so you can look back and vote on those or add something new. Ready….Go!**


	17. Chapter 17

"David, look at this." Luke sighed as he handed David a stack of papers. "Richard Gilmore, Lorelai's father, sent those over this morning."

"Divorce papers?" David asked as Luke nodded.

"Yeah." Luke nodded and began to pace the room. "Looks like Richard hired a shark of a lawyer. They're taking me for everything I'm worth. They want me to pay child support, which makes sense, but they also say that Lorelai is entitled to half ownership of the diner and half of all future profits. All my retirement funds are supposed to be split and half given to Lorelai in a separate account. I'm also one hundred percent responsible for the kids' college tuition."

"You do realize it's your responsibility to support your family." David noted as he skimmed the pages.

"I know, but how can I do that when I'm only getting half the income from the diner. I'll have to take on a second job to pay for all that stuff. It's not like Lorelai's broke or anything. The Dragonfly makes double what the diner does, even after you take out Sookie's share."

"Sounds like Lorelai's father is pretty pissed that you hurt her and wants to make sure you suffer."

"Yeah" Luke sighed. "I know I need to take care of my kids, but Lorelai makes more money than I do. I had more assets when we got married, but the Inn has really taken off in the last couple of years. Richard can't expect me to double her income, can he?"

"I think the point is that he doesn't want you to have a comfortable life. He wants you to feel financial pressure." David said. "What would you have done if you and Lorelai were still married?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean with the kids. How would you have supported them?"

"oh, well with Lorelai and my combined income it wouldn't have been a problem. The only real issue would have been the house. It's too small for Will and the twins. We'd have to get something bigger."

"I imagine Richard is thinking of that and thinks you should provide a bigger house. That's probably part of all this."

"I already put a bunch of money into Lorelai's house when we got married. I paid off a large chunk of her mortgage, so she should be able to sell the place and keep the money. That will help pay for a new place." Luke explained.

"I don't know what her plans are, but I doubt Richard cares about any money you put into the house. He's probably thinking of her buying a new place from scratch." David said and looked up from the papers. "What are you going to do about this? Are you going to fight it?"

"No, I'm just going to give Lorelai whatever she wants. It's not like I really have any sort of defense anyways. I'm the one who cheated on her. I'm not really sure how I'll pay for everything, but I'll just have to keep working hard." Luke sighed. "Do I just sign those papers and send them in?"

"Looks like it." David shrugged.

XXXXX

Lorelai heard a knock at the front door and quickly walked down the stairs to answer it. She opened the door and frowned as she saw David standing there wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. He looked down at the ground with slumped shoulders and shuffled his feet.

"David? What's wrong? Is everything ok?" Lorelai asked as fear flooded her mind.

"Everything is ok." David said and sighed. "Well, at least sort of. Can I come in and talk with you for a minute, Lorelai?"

"Sure David. You're more than welcome here any time." Lorelai said and ushered him into the house. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Sure, water would be fine." David nodded and followed her into the kitchen. He sat at the table and waited to say anything until Lorelai had set a glass of water in front of him and sat down. "I just wanted to come tell you that I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For causing trouble. I didn't think that showing up and talking to Luke would create so many problems. Sorry if I completely screwed things up between you two." David said quietly. "My Mom told me Luke was the classic bachelor type and that he was probably still that way. I though it wouldn't hurt anything if I showed up and tried to get to know him. I didn't think I'd be breaking up a family. If I'd have known, I wouldn't have come and ruined everything."

"Oh, David, you didn't do anything wrong." Lorelai assured him and reached out to touch his arm. "Luke and I are having problems because of our own actions. It's not your fault and I don't blame you for anything. In reality, it's more Luke's fault than anyone else's. I probably could have done things differently when he first found out about you, but I can't change any of that now. I'm happy that you came here and met Luke. You deserve to know your Dad and have a relationship with him."

"Thanks Lorelai." David nodded. "I just feel bad that I ruined your plan to have a family with Luke."

"You didn't ruin anything, David." Lorelai continued to assure him. "Luke and I may not have the family we imagined, but it's not because of you. I don't want to over step my bounds here, but I think you and I could have a good relationship if we gave it a shot. We've never really discussed it, but I am your Step Mother. I sort of hate that title, but I can't think of anything better. I certainly don't want to replace your Mom or anything like that, just maybe we could get along well. Will is your little brother and I'd really like it if he could look up to you and learn things from you as he grows up."

"Really? You wouldn't mind if I came around more?"

"Not at all." Lorelai smiled. "I think Will would like that too."

"It might be fun to have a little brother." David said.

"And two other little siblings." Lorelai reminded him and rubbed her belly.

"True. Looks like I'm going to have a lot of responsibility." David nodded. "Speaking of which, I was wondering if you have any odd jobs around the house that need to be done. I'd like to help out if I can. I noticed the lawn needs to be mowed. Is it ok if I tackle that?"

"That would be great, actually. I think the lawn mower is in the garage. I'm not really sure, that was always Luke's territory."

"I'll figure it out." David assured her and stood up from the table. "Hey, if you ever need anything done around the house you can always call me. I can stop by when I'm up here visiting Luke and help out with whatever you need."

"Thanks, David. I appreciate it." Lorelai smiled as he ducked out the back door. _He's so much like Luke, _She thought to herself. She wondered if Luke had been as outgoing as David at some point in his life or if Luke had always been more reserved. David seemed like a nice young man, but she couldn't quite figure out why. Sure, Luke was nice and Rachel could be too, but David had basically grown up without his parents. His Grandparents must have been very good people and shaped him into the person he was today, Lorelai concluded.

XXXXX

Rory woke up from a dreamless, yet restful sleep and yawned before rolling over onto her side. She smiled when she found Logan staring at her with a dreamy grin on his face.

"What's that look for?" Rory smirked.

"I was just thinking about you and what we have together." Logan admitted before kissing her.

"How long have you been up?"

"Just a few minutes. You looked so peaceful."

"I was exhausted. I slept like a rock." Rory said and yawned again.

"There is something I want to talk to you about." Logan began.

"Ok, shoot." Rory smiled.

"This is serious."

"Oh, ok. Is something wrong?" She asked, her mind instantly flipping through a list of problems.

"No, nothing's wrong. In fact, everything is really good."

"Ok, so what's with the serious tone, Logan? You're starting to scare me?"

"It's serious, but not in a bad way."

"Logan, just spit it out." Rory huffed and propped herself up on an elbow.

Logan smirked at her impatience before finally letting her in on what he was thinking about. "I've been thinking about us a lot lately and I've come to realize something. I realized that I love you and I never want to be without you. So, I wanted to talk about getting married."

"Married?" Rory blurted out. She was shocked. Marriage was the furthest thing from her mind at the moment, especially with everything her Mom was going through.

"What? You don't want to get married?" Logan frowned.

"No, it's just that I haven't thought about it much." She said and instantly wanted to take it back once she saw the hurt look in Logan's eyes. "No, it's not like that. I love you, Logan. I really do. It's just that I've been a little preoccupied lately with helping Mom and watching Will. I haven't really been thinking about my future much is all."

"I know." Logan nodded. "But I have and I know that I want you in it. I want to be with you."

"But what about all the variables? What about me finding a job after graduation? What about your job?"

"That's also something I've thought about." Logan explained. "I talked to my Dad and we're going to start a new venture at Huntzberger Publishing Group. With all the changes in the publishing industry, we both see a need for a stronger online presence. So, we're creating a Social Media division and they're hiring me on as a consultant. If things go well and I do a good job, they'll hire me full time. It's really great, Rory because I can prove myself to my Dad and also use the skills I've acquired in the last couple years on my own. It's a great fit, really."

"It sounds like it."

"Yeah. The only thing is that I'll be based in New York. It's not too far from here, but it will be hard to commute. I was thinking, you can say 'no' if you want…but I was thinking we could both move to New York. I know you were thinking about Grad school, so I'm sure Columbia or NYU would be good. You could do that or you could get a job at any one of the big papers or magazines."

"Yeah, I could." Rory nodded as her mind raced to catch up with Logan's. "So, what…you're saying you want to get married and move to New York City after I graduate from Yale?"

"Yes." Logan nodded. "What do you think?"

"I think it's a big decision. My senior year is still a month away. We're talking about next summer; a year away."

"So you want some time to think it over?" Logan frowned.

"Yes, if that's ok."

"It's ok." Logan nodded, disappointment evident in his eyes.

"Thank you." Rory replied gratefully. "I'm going to go shower and then head to Stars Hollow for the day. Do you want to come?"

"I'd like to, but I've got some work to do. I'll text you this afternoon and maybe join you for dinner."

"Sounds like a plan." Rory said and pecked his lips with a kiss before jumping out of bed and heading into the bathroom. Logan sank back down in bed groaned softly.

XXXXX

"Mom!" Rory shouted as she entered the Crap Shack and sat her purse down.

"Shhh" Lorelai whispered from the living room. "Will is napping."

"Sorry." Rory said apologetically as she sat down on the couch next to her Mom. "We _have_ to talk."

"Oh? About what?" Lorelai wondered.

"When I woke up this morning, Logan was staring at me with this goofy grin on his face."

"I soooo don't want to hear what you two did last night." Lorelai stopped her.

"Ewww. Mom, no." Rory insisted.

"What?" Lorelai said defensively. "There is usually only one reason guys wake up with that look on their faces."

"We're getting off track." Rory shook her head and tried to correct their course. "Logan said he wanted to talk to me about something. He said he loved me and he wanted to discuss getting married. _Married!_" Rory said in a panicky high pitched voice as she threw her arms up on the air.

"Yeah?" Lorelai said calmly without even batting an eye.

"_Married!_" Rory squeaked again.

"Yeah, so?"

"How are you not more upset by this? This is a _huge_ deal!" Rory demanded to know.

"Rory, Logan's had that goofy grin on his face for months now. I figured this would happen eventually." Lorelai said calmly. "Now, I admit, I wasn't Logan's biggest fan when you two got together. However, the past few months have really changed my opinion of him. He's been really reliable and responsible. He's even been a great Father figure for Will. Logan wouldn't love Will so much if he didn't love you even more. Think about it Rory; Logan has really become a man over the last year. He's not the young playboy you started dating."

"So you think I should marry him and move to New York?"

"Wait, what?" Lorelai asked in confusion. "Who said anything about you moving to New York."

"Oh" Rory said sheepishly. "I must have left that part out."

"Yeah" Lorelai raised an eyebrow.

"Well, Logan is going to do some consulting work for his Dad's company and it requires him to move to New York. I'm not sure what I want to do after I graduate, but I've sort of been thinking about Graduate school. The economy isn't doing all that great and most papers aren't hiring right now. It could take me a really long time to find a job or I might end up just doing an internship, which isn't all that bad, but I think Grad school might be a better option at this point. Logan suggested NYU or Columbia so we could both be in New York. He suggested getting married the summer after I graduate Yale. That way we can be together and still pursue our careers."

"Sounds like Logan has really been thinking about this. He's got it all worked out."

"It's a bit overwhelming though." Rory admitted. "I've been trying to figure out life after college, but I keep drawing a blank. Now it's all figured out for me."

"Not necessarily. I think Logan's ideas where just that; ideas. It's not set in stone yet. You can alter it if you want. I don't think Logan would object."

"That's true." Rory agreed. "I still can't believe you're not freaking out about all of this. How are you more calm than I am?"

"Because I saw it coming." Lorelai smiled and wrapped an arm around her daughter. "I can't say I'm super excited about you moving to New York and leaving me, but I guess I'll have to let you go eventually. I'm going to miss you so much, but it's not too far away. We can still visit all the time and talk on the phone. Besides, it's not like Will or the twins are going to let me sit around the house mourning your departure all day long."

"That's true. You will be very busy with three little ones very shortly." Rory realized. "I kind of feel bad that I won't be around to help as much."

"I've got to learn to manage on my own at some point." Lorelai shrugged.

"You're sure you'll be ok?"

"Positive." Lorelai nodded confidently.

"Hey." Rory frowned. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" Lorelai asked innocently.

"You helped me make my mind up about marrying Logan and moving to New York. How'd you do that without me even making a pro/con list?"

"Magical powers." Lorelai joked. "Kid, you already made your mind up before you got here. I just reassured you that it was the right decision."

XXXXX

Rory walked into the kitchen of the Dragonfly and immediately went toward the coffee pot before Sookie squealed and ran to hug Rory.

"Whoa. Hey Sookie. Good to see you too." Rory said and hugged her back.

"Sorry, I came on a little strong there." Sookie apologized and smoothed her apron before finding a coffee cup for Rory. "So, what brings you by? I haven't seen you in a while."

"I wanted to go out and grab a cup of coffee, but my old standby is kind of out of the question right now." Rory shrugged.

"Oh, that's right. No Luke's." Sookie said sadly.

"Nope." Rory nodded. "But that means I get to come see you!" She said in an attempt to bring the mood back up.

"Yay!" Sookie agreed. "So, tell me what's going on in your life. How's Yale? Logan?"

"Yale and Logan are good." Rory informed her. "Actually, Logan is really good."

Sookie smirked and wiggled her eyes. "Oh, something dirty?"

"No, no dirty details." Rory shook her head. "Logan basically asked me to marry him."

"Oh my gosh!" Sookie squealed and hugged Rory again, nearly spilling her coffee.

"Yeah, but I told him I needed time to think it over." Rory explained as she stood back up and sipped her coffee.

"Oh" Sookie said in disappointment.

"But, I talked to Mom and realized that I do want to marry Logan." Rory said with a twinkle in her eye.

"Oh!" Sookie squealed again.

"Yeah. The only thing is that I haven't told Logan yes, yet. He's coming over for dinner and I want to tell him, but it may not be very romantic with a one year old and a pregnant woman at the same table."

"True" Sookie agreed before an idea popped into her head. "Oh! You should do it here! I can get a table all set up. Oh! That table over by the big window is nice and a bit more private. I can get some candles and make the waiter wear a suit. It will be fantastic."

"Really? You'd do all of that for me?"

"Of course, Sweetie." Sookie smiled. "I'll have it all arranged. You just get Logan here at six o'clock and leave the rest to me."

"Thanks Sookie! You're the best." Rory smiled and hugged her once more.

"You're welcome. Now, go home and make sure you're all prepared for tonight." Sookie said as Rory began to leave. "Oh, and I'll make sure there is a room reserved for you upstairs. Just in case you and Logan want to do some celebrating."

Rory blushed slightly before ducking out the back door and walking to her car.

XXXXX

**AN: Whew! There was a lot in that chapter. I was going to break it into two, but I thought you all deserve a big chapter for waiting so long for an update. Thank you and please review!**


	18. Chapter 18

Rory was putting the final touches on her makeup when there was a knock at the front door.

"I've got it!" Lorelai yelled and went to answer the door as Rory finished getting ready. "Hi, Logan." She smiled and stepped aside to let him in.

"Hey, Lorelai." Logan nodded and entered the house.

"Rory is finishing getting ready." Lorelai explained and led him into the living room.

"I'm ready!" Rory announced and entered the living room.

"You look nice." Logan observed and kissed her cheek.

"Thanks. Ready to go?"

"Yup" Logan nodded and followed Rory out of the house.

"Have fun; don't worry about the pregnant lady you're leaving behind!" Lorelai called after them as she shut the front door behind them.

Logan held Rory's hand as they walked toward the Inn. "So, what is so important that you wanted to talk about?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Does it have anything to do with why we are walking and not driving?"

"Not really. It's a nice night and I thought it would be good to walk. It's not that far to the Inn." Rory answered.

"Ok" Logan agreed reluctantly. "It's not anything bad, is it?"

"No" Rory nodded firmly.

A few minutes later, they were seated at a table in the Dragonfly's dining room. Sookie had made sure the candles were lit and a nice arrangement of flowers adorned the table. Rory waited until they each had a glass of wine in front of them and were waiting for diner before Rory finally brought up the subject that had been on her mind.

"Logan" Rory said very seriously.

"Rory" Logan mimicked and sat up straight in his chair.

"Logan" Rory said his name again, but in a softer time. "Remember our conversation from the other day?"

"Which one?" Logan frowned.

"The one where you said you wanted to get married." Rory clarified.

"Oh" Logan realized and shifted in his seat. "Have you come to a decision?"

"I have." Rory nodded. She reached across the table and held his hand in an attempt to reassure him. "Logan, I realized something today. I love you and I want to be with you. I'm not sure what my future will hold, but I know that I want you in it."

"So, what are you saying?" Logan frowned.

"I'm saying…I want to marry you, Logan Huntzberger." Rory smiled and waited for his reaction. "You jump, I jump Jack."

"Yes?" Logan asked.

"Yes" Rory confirmed.

Logan smiled and quickly jumped up from the table before scooping Rory up in his arms and peppering her neck with kisses. They were interrupted by a squeal of excitement from the kitchen followed by the quick shutting of a door.

"Has Sookie been watching us?" Logan smiled as he looked at Rory.

"Probably." Rory shrugged. "Who do you think set all this up?" She asked and gestured toward the table.

"So, you're sure then?" Logan asked.

"I'm sure." Rory nodded before Logan kissed her passionately. "Are you happy?" She asked as their lips parted.

"Ecstatic" Logan smiled. "I can't wait. Let's go do it right now."

"Get married?" Rory chuckled. "I think we need to plan it a little more. Plus, both of our families would be pissed if we eloped. I was thinking next summer, after I graduate. Graduation will be the beginning of May, so maybe sometime in June?"

"Sounds perfect." Logan agreed. "We can have it whenever you want. I'm more thrilled with the fact that you're going to be my wife and we get to spend the rest of our lives together."

Rory smiled at his sentiment before grinning. "You know…when I told Sookie my plans for our diner, she jokingly said she'd reserve a room for us upstairs. She said we might need a little alone time to celebrate. Now I'm thinking that was a really good idea…"

"Should we?" Logan raised an eyebrow. "What about our diner?"

"They have room service here." Rory replied and grabbed her purse from the table. She spotted something shiny next to the flower vase and found it was a key to a room upstairs. Rory waved it at Logan before quickly tiptoeing out of the dining room and up the stairs. Logan smirked and ducked his head as he followed her lead.

XXXXX

Rory and Logan jaunted along the road back to her Mom's house a few hours later. They were both glowing when they entered the house and found Lorelai watching a movie in the living room.

"You're back" Lorelai observed as Rory and Logan stood there holding hands. "By the way you two look, I take it things went well?"

"Yup. We're officially engaged." Rory announced as Lorelai smiled and slowly stood up to hug her.

"Damn pregnant belly slowing me down." Lorelai mumbled as she hugged her daughter.

"Well, not officially." Logan clarified. "I haven't gotten Rory a ring yet, so we're not official yet."

"Doesn't matter." Rory shook her head. "Ring or no ring, we've decided to get married."

"Congratulations." Lorelai smiled again and looked at Logan as she decided whether or not to hug him. "Hug or shake hands?" Lorelai joked as Logan shrugged. "I think this is a hugging occasion." She decided and quickly hugged her soon-to-be son-in-law. "Now that you're going to be part of the family, you can help me with all this stuff." She said and gestured toward the coffee table.

"Mom, what is all this?" Rory asked as she walked over to examine the mail covering the table.

"Kirk brought that over today. He's filing in for our regular mailman and noticed how full our mailbox was. He also noticed that the mail man hadn't delivered the last three days' mail because the box was full. So, Kirk took it upon himself to bring every single piece of mail to the house." Lorelai explained.

"Geez, that's a lot of mail." Logan observed.

"Yeah" Lorelai huffed. "Want to help me sort through it?"

"Ok" Logan hesitated and looked at Rory. Rory simply sat down and began to pick through the various envelopes as Lorelai sat down on the couch. "This looks important." Logan said and handed Lorelai a large envelope that was addressed to her, using her full given name.

"Geez, who's so formal these days."

"Looks like it's from a lawyer's office by the return address." Logan remarked.

Lorelai opened the envelope and frowned as she began to read the paperwork. Logan and Rory watched her carefully until she tossed the paperwork on the coffee table. "This is ridiculous." She explained and gestured toward the table. "Dad had a lawyer write up divorce papers, but it's totally unreasonable. Basically, it says I get more than half of everything Luke has and will ever have. Heck, I even get half of the diner's profits."

"So?" Logan questioned. "Luke has to support his kids. He's the one who screwed everything up in the first place, he should have to pay."

"But, he's not going to be able to support the boys if he doesn't have enough money to run the diner. He has to have enough cash flow to order food and supplies, pay employees, and maintain his equipment. If he has to pay me half of all he's taking in, it will be really hard for him." Lorelai explained.

"I'm surprised you still care about all that after everything he's done to you." Logan said.

"I'm thinking of the boys." Lorelai clarified. "I really want them to have a positive relationship with Luke. If I sabotage him financially, it may hurt the boys."

XXXXX

Richard was busy working in his study when he heard the front doorbell. He ignored it, assuming the maid would get it. The bell rang again and again until Richard huffed and went to answer it himself. He was surprised when he opened the door and found Lorelai standing there, shuffling a restless Will on her hip.

"Lorelai?" He said and frowned at her.

"Hi Dad. Can you take him?" Lorelai asked and shoved Will into his arms. "My back is killing me." She explained and reached to rub her lower back. "These two are going to be the death of me."

"Yes, well, would you come in and have a seat?" He asked and led the way to the living room with Will carefully held against his chest.

"Where's Mom?" Lorelai asked as she sat down.

"Some charity luncheon." Richard answered and sat down before resting Will on his knee. "So, this is visit is a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?"

"I want to talk to you about this." Lorelai said as she pulled papers out of her purse. "This divorce paperwork."

"Oh…yes? Is there something the matter with it?" Richard frowned.

"Dad! It's totally unreasonable!" Lorelai exclaimed. "You can't expect Luke to just roll over and give me everything."

"Why not? He was unfaithful to you and deserted his family. He deserves to suffer."

"I agree, but he won't be able to afford anything if you enforce the terms in this paperwork." Lorelai sighed. "The Inn has done really well lately and it will bring in a much bigger profit than the diner in the coming years. I don't know if you know this, but Luke made a pretty significant investment in the Inn when it was being built. If it wasn't for him, I might not have it. If anything, I should be the one giving Luke a share in the Inn's profits or paying him back. I don't know that I really have any share of the diner."

"You are married to him and you deserve half of his assets. That's the law. I'm not aware of a prenuptial agreement stating otherwise."

"Ok, but I really don't feel like it's right." Lorelai protested. "I wouldn't be able to take all that money from Luke anyway. He needs to have something to live on."

"I don't see why you're defending him, Lorelai. Do you really still care for him?"

"Yes" Lorelai admitted. "But it's more than that. I need to be on somewhat good terms with Luke for the boys' sake. I don't want them to grow up feeling like I resent their Father. They still deserve to have a good relationship with him."

"Boys?" Richard frowned and looked at her inquisitively.

"Yes" Lorelai smiled. "The twins are boys."

"Well, congratulations." Richard smiled and bounced Will on his knee. "You're going to have two little brothers." He said to Will, who seemed oblivious, but giggled anyway. "Lorelai, are you sure about all of this? Three boys will be a handful and it won't be easy on your own."

"I know." She nodded. "I'd feel incredibly guilty if I signed these papers. I'm sorry for all the trouble, but you've got to change this, Dad."

"Very well. What would you like it to say?"

"I don't want half the diner. Take that out." Lorelai insisted right away. "Put in that I'll pay Luke back the thirty thousand dollars he invested in the Inn. Maybe, ten thousand a year for the next three years? Then add that Luke should pay child support, but only a reasonable portion of his income. He will pay for half the boys' college and I'll be responsible for the other half. Luke and I can work out some sort of custody or visitation schedule. He should be allowed to see the boys whenever he wants."

"Ok, I'll have the lawyer make those changes." Richard nodded. "Anything else I can do for you?"

"Nope. I'm all set."

Richard nodded and looked at the floor before frowning and looking at Lorelai. "Lorelai?"

"Yeah, Dad?"

"You will let me know if you do need anything, right?" Richard hesitated. "Anything at all."

"I will" Lorelai agreed. "I'm fine on my own, but if I really need something I'll let you know."

"Don't wait until you're desperate." He insisted. "Raising three boys on your own is a big challenge. You did an excellent job with Rory, so I know you're capable of doing it. I just don't want to see you struggle. You deserve better than that."

"Thanks, Dad." Lorelai smiled.


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: I'm sure most of you have sensed that this story is starting to drag. I know where it's going to end up, so in the interest of moving forward I'm going to do a small time jump. Thanks for reading and please review!**

XXXXX

Luke and Lorelai's divorce was not easy, despite Luke's initial cave in. The attorneys went back and forth with several drafts of divorce papers until they reached a final draft. It wasn't pretty, but it allowed Luke to have a relationship with his sons while still maintaining some of his assets and income. Luke and Lorelai signed the papers just a few weeks short of when the twins were supposed to be born.

Despite their strong outward appearances, both Luke and Lorelai took the divorce very hard. It wasn't how either of them thought their middle would go, but it was a reality. Luke grunted and huffed around the diner for a couple weeks before settling down into a grumpy mood. Lorelai suffered silently as she attempted to move on with her life. Rory offered to spend the weekend wallowing with her, but Lorelai refused. She insisted that she wasn't going to continue to fall apart when Will and the twins needed her to be strong. The town went into a usual frenzy and chose sides in the matter, regardless of Lorelai's insistence that it was something private between her and Luke.

As time marched on, Lorelai's due date rapidly approached. Rory spent a considerable amount of time with her in an effort to be around when she went into labor. The idea of being there when the twins were born kind of made Rory queasy, but at this point she didn't really have a choice; she didn't want her Mom to be alone.

XXXXX

"Ok, I'm going in" Rory told Logan as they stood in the hallway outside Lorelai's hospital room.

"What?"

"Mom is in labor and needs someone in there with her, so I'm going in."

"But birth freaks you out."

"Yeah, it definitely does, but I have to do this. Luke isn't here and I can't leave Mom by herself."

"Ok, I guess I can watch Will." Logan nodded before Rory turned and walked back into the room. Logan pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Luke's number.

"Hello?" Luke answered.

"Luke, this is Logan. I'm at the hospital with Rory and Lorelai. Lorelai is having the babies."

"Oh" Luke said and hesitated before Logan jumped in.

"Luke, just get down here. I know you and Lorelai aren't really speaking to each other, but you don't want to miss the birth of your kids. You know what that's like after missing the experience with your oldest kids. Don't miss out on it this time. Get down here, ok?"

"Ok" Luke agreed. "Thanks, Logan."

"No problem." Logan said before hanging up.

XXXXX

About an hour later, Rory emerged from the Lorelai's hospital room and shook her head as she saw Logan and Will.

"Not yet" She said. "The doctor thinks it's best to do a caesarian section. I'd tell you all the reasons, but its way more information than I wanted to know, so I'll spare you that."

"Thanks. How are you holding up?" Logan asked.

"Good. I've got the easy job in there."

"Hey, uh, I need to tell you about something." Logan sighed. "I called Luke."

"Oh, actually, that's really good." Rory admitted. "I was going to ask you to call him. He should be here for the birth. They are his kids too after all."

"Ok, good. I figured we were thinking the same thing, but then sort of regretted it after I called him." Logan said. "Actually, he should be here really soon. Should I send him to you when I see him?"

"Yes. I think we're headed toward the delivery room, so the nurses can probably direct him."

"Ok, well good luck Ace. I'll keep Will entertained and wish for the best."

"Thanks!" Rory chirped and walked back into the room after kissing Logan and Will.

XXXXX

Rory carefully held her newborn baby brother and smiled as she looked back at her Mom. "He's gorgeous, Mom."

"Thanks. This guy is pretty good looking too though. Let's call it a tie." Lorelai agreed as she held her other newborn Son.

"They're both very handsome." Rory agreed and sat down on the edge of her Mom's bed. "So, what are their names going to be? We can't call them baby boy forever."

"Why not? It's cute."

"Until they get made fun of in school." Rory said. "And no one will be able to tell them apart. They'll end up being baby boy number one and baby boy number two."

"True." Lorelai agreed. "Ok, I guess I should tell you what their names are then." Lorelai smiled and held her Son up a little more. "This is Joshua Reuben Danes and you're holding Brayden Richard Danes."

"Beautiful names." Rory noted. "I see you're still stuck on that Reuben sandwich bit."

"I like that name!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"Grandpa will be really happy Brayden has his name. It's a really nice thing you did for him. I'm sure Brayden will appreciate it in the future, too."

Joshua soon began to fuss as Lorelai soothed him and Rory reached out to hold his little hand.

"Ok, Joshua. You have a very nice name too." She smiled. "Very strong and capable sounding."

They all sat together for a few minutes until Logan knocked on the door and slowly entered with Will in his arms. "Hey, is it ok if we come in?"

"Of course." Lorelai nodded. "Is Will ready to meet his younger brothers?"

Logan looked at Will for confirmation before moving closer and sitting on a chair near the bed. He watched Will look at the two little babies before reaching out toward them. Logan carefully lifted him up and set him on the bed before Lorelai lowered Joshua for him to see.

"Will, this is Joshua." She said.

Will looked over at his younger brother and jumped back a little when Joshua sneezed and then yawned.

"It's ok" Lorelai assured Will. "He just sneezed." She carefully shifted Joshua and pulled Will close to her side. "What do you think?"

Will didn't say anything, but carefully reached out and held Joshua's hand.

"I think he likes him." Rory concluded and sat on the edge of the bed, shifting Brayden so Will was between both babies. "This is Brayden, Will."

Will spent the next several minutes looking back and forth between his two baby brothers before Lorelai yawned.

"Oh, we should let you get some rest." Logan realized.

"Logan, will you go get the nurse? I think Joshua and Brayden should probably go down to the nursery or something while Mom sleeps."

"Sure" Logan nodded and quickly went to fulfill her request. Minutes later, the twins were being wheeled down to the nursery and Lorelai was quickly falling asleep.

"Have a good sleep." Rory said and brushed Lorelai's hair out of her face. "You did really well, Mom. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks kid." Lorelai smiled softly and squeezed Rory's hand. "Will you check on the twins before you go?"

"Absolutely." Rory nodded. "I'll check on them right now. Logan and I are taking Will for the night, so you don't have to worry about him."

"Thank you." Lorelai whispered as she closed her eyes and sleep overtook her.

Rory quietly excused herself and made her way to the nursery. As she approached, she stopped as she saw Luke standing in front of the nursery staring at Joshua and Brayden through the glass. He jumped as Rory suddenly appeared next to him and looked at the babies.

"They're beautiful." Rory noted.

"Yeah" Luke choked out and cleared his throat.

"Have you held them yet?" Rory asked before he could say anything else.

"No"

"Well, go ahead." Rory nodded. "Did you just get here? Logan said he called you a while ago."

"I've been here for a while actually. I asked about Lorelai, but they said you were in with her. I didn't think it was my place to interrupt."

"You could have come in. Mom had to have a C-Section, which was kind of gross to be honest. I didn't really look and just focused on her."

"Is she ok?" Luke frowned.

"Yeah, she's going to be really sore for a while, but she'll be ok. She's sleeping now." Rory informed him. "You should go into the nursery and meet the boys."

Luke nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat as he followed Rory. A nurse showed them an area with a rocking chair and wheeled the boys' basinets over before leaving them alone. Luke sat in the chair before Rory handed him Joshua.

"Luke, this is Joshua Reuben Danes."

Luke didn't say a word as he held his newborn son and gently rocked back and forth. "Joshua" Luke finally whispered.

"He's beautiful." Rory gushed as she also stared at the baby before remembering his brother and carefully handing him to Luke. "This one is Brayden Richard Danes."

"They're both amazing." Luke said and stared at his boys.

"What do you think of the names? Any objections?"

"I like them." Luke nodded. "Their last name is Danes? For some reason I thought it might be Gilmore."

"Mom thought it was best for everyone. Will has your last name, so it's easier for everyone. Plus, she said it just felt like the right thing to do."

Luke huffed and shook his head. "Even when I've done everything wrong."

"You know Joshua's middle name is for a sandwich, right?" Rory grinned.

Luke smiled in realization and shook his head again before looking at Joshua. "Your Mom is a crazy lady."

"At least it's not his first name." Rory smiled. "Well, what do you think? Are they keepers?"

"Amazing" Luke whispered. "Simply amazing."


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Some of you may have been surprised by the last chapter, but keep in mind that this story isn't over yet. In the interest of moving things along, I'm going to take another time jump. Also, after reading this chapter I ask that you all just trust me and hang in there for a while longer. **

XXXXX

_Three years_. Rory thought as she and Logan drove toward her grandparents' house. It had been almost three years since they were married the summer after she graduated Yale. A lot had changed since then, but some things remained the same; she still loved Logan and was still incredibly close to her family. In fact, she'd even recently reconnected with her Father and was hopeful that their relationship would be much better than it had in the past.

Logan reached over and squeezed Rory's hand before she responded with a small smile. She was a bit nervous for dinner at her grandparents' house this time. It had been over a month since she and Logan had made the journey from New York City to Hartford, which they normally did every other week. Logan was working for his Father in the Media Communications department of HPG and Rory had decided to get a Master's degree in Communication from Columbia University. Rory had wrestled with finding a job or going to grad school, but with the economy being bad and writing jobs being scarce, she chose grad school. It turned out to be a much greater challenge than she had imagined, but in true Rory fashion, she rose to the challenge.

Now, Rory and Logan were both celebrating triumphs; he was being promoted to Vice President of Media Communications and she was graduating from Columbia. They were both excited, but that was overshadowed by the real reason they were having dinner at the Gilmore residence. Rory had called her Grandmother and asked that she prepare a small celebration for some good news Rory and Logan had. She'd also requested the presence of Christopher, which Emily found a bit odd, but was happy to do. Emily had tried to pry the good news out of Rory, but to no avail.

"Do you think they suspect anything?" Logan asked, jolting Rory out of her daze.

"No, they think we just want to celebrate graduation and your promotion. Grandma tried to guess a whole bunch of different things, but none of them were right. I think she finally concluded that we were going to announce the purchase of a townhouse or something." Rory smiled and placed her hand over her stomach. The real reason everyone was gathering had only just been discovered by Rory and Logan; they were going to have a baby. It was a total shock and completely unplanned, but they had quickly become very excited about it. Rory fidgeted nervously with her blouse and tried to adjust her skirt to cover the bump that had recently appeared. "Do you think anyone will notice?" She asked Logan.

"Probably" Logan smirked. "You're almost four months, Rory. It won't take them long to think you're either pregnant or gaining weight. I'm surprised you didn't know sooner."

"I was studying for finals and we've been eating a ton of take out, so the weight gain seemed somewhat normal. I've never really gained this much weight, but I assumed it was just the stress and my metabolism not being as fast since I'm getting older." Rory shrugged and blushed slightly. "I'm surprised you didn't notice it."

"Well, I may have been more interested in other aspects of your body." Logan explained and smirked at her. "Besides, it's not like I haven't gained a few pounds lately too."

"Oh please." Rory huffed. "you're still the same weight you were when we got married."

"You think they'll be happy about the baby?" Rory changed the subject.

"Absolutely." Logan confirmed. "We're happy about it, so I'm sure they will be too. I'm sure your Mom will freak out. I don't know how you haven't told her yet, by the way."

"I want to surprise everyone." Rory explained. "Mom might be a little irritated that I didn't tell her before everyone else, but she'll get over it once she starts thinking about the baby."

"Your brothers will be uncles." Logan smiled. "Do you think they'll understand that concept?"

"Probably not right away. I'm sure chaos will ensue once they figure it out." Rory smiled. "It will be really good for everyone though. Will's almost five and Josh and Brayden are three, so having to be gentle with a baby will help calm them down a bit. Plus it will be nice for the baby to have three playmates."

"I'm so excited." Logan smiled and squeezed her hand as they pulled into the driveway of the Gilmore residence. He parked the car and turned to face Rory. "Hey, whatever happens in there, whatever their reaction…I want you to remember that I love you and I'm really excited about this baby."

"I love you" Rory smiled and kissed him.

"Shall we?" Logan smirked before opening the car door and walk around the car to open Rory's door as they stepped out. They looked around the driveway and noticed Lorelai was the only one who hadn't arrived yet.

"I see Mitchum and Shira are here." Logan groaned. "I forgot that you invited them."

"Would you rather we just let them find out on their own?"

"Or preferably Emily would tell them." Logan suggested.

"Come on, let's go." Rory smiled and pulled Logan to the front door. She pushed the door bell and waited until Emily opened the front door.

"Rory! Logan! Come in, come in." Emily smiled and ushered them inside. She took their coats and her gaze lingered on Rory's waist a little too long for Rory's comfort. If Emily had any suspicions, she didn't voice them as she led them into the living room.

"Rory! Logan!" Richard echoed his wife and shook Logan's hand before Rory quickly hugged him. "Drinks? Your usual?" Richard inquired.

"Club soda for me." Rory said and averted her eyes from her Grandmother's questioning gaze. Christopher provided a welcome distraction as he greeted the couple, followed by Mitchum and Shira.

"Well, now that we've got the hello's out of the way…what did you bring us here to celebrate?" Mitchum asked as they all took their seats.

"Mom's not here yet." Rory pointed out.

"Your Mother is always late." Emily sighed and sat down as she tried not the stare at Rory and the inkling feeling in her mind.

"It must be hard raising three little boys all on her own." Shira said in a condescending tone.

"She manages just fine." Rory quickly defended her Mother.

"Still, it would be nice if their Father was involved." Shira shrugged.

Rory started to respond, but Logan grabbed her hand to stop a fight.

"Well, why don't you just tell us and you can inform your Mother when she arrives." Emily insisted.

Logan looked at Rory and knew they wouldn't announce the baby without Lorelai there, but thought that other news might hold them over for a while. "Well, we really wanted to gather you all here because we're celebrating many things tonight. Rory's graduating from Columbia and I'm stepping into the role of Vice President of Media Communications at HPG."

"Both extraordinary accomplishments." Richard noted and raised his glass toward the couple.

"To Rory and Logan." Christopher added before they all drank another sip of their drinks.

"I take it this means you'll be settling down in New York?" Emily asked.

"Yes, for a while longer." Rory answered. "We've been looking at new apartments."

"It's about time." Mitchum said. "You two need something bigger and in a better location; maybe the upper east side? A nice penthouse with a view of the park."

"Yeah, maybe" Logan nodded as he thought about how expensive that would be.

"If you're worried about cost, don't be." Richard quickly added. "Emily and I would be more than happy to help you two out. Especially since you wouldn't let us help with the first place. Maybe you'd like a little brownstone or something like that?"

"Maybe" Rory answered. "We'll have to start looking to see what's out there."

"Yes, yes." Richard insisted. "I know the perfect realtor to start the process."

"It's odd that Mom isn't here." Rory whispered to Logan. "Do you think I should call and make sure she's alright?"

"I'm sure she's fine." Logan assured her. "She's probably just running late. No big deal."

The next half an hour was consumed by real estate talk among the group, including a bit of boasting by Mitchum about how well he'd done on flipping a small apartment building in Brooklyn a few years back. The conversation abruptly ended when the maid came in and whispered something to Emily about dinner.

"Oh my God!" Emily exclaimed. "It's almost seven thirty! I'm so sorry everyone I completely lost track of time. Let's go into the dining room."

No one seemed to mind or even notice that dinner was late, but it was practically the end of the world to Emily. She quickly escorted everyone into the room and saw that the salads were served immediately.

"Lorelai isn't here yet?" Richard observed as he sat down at the table. "She isn't usually this late."

"Time must have slipped away from her again." Emily said as she sat down with everyone else.

Just as everyone was beginning the main course, the phone rang. Emily rolled her eyes as Richard got up to answer it, assuming it was a business call. He was gone a little longer than usual and came back into the dining room white as a sheet.

"Richard, is everything alright?" Emily asked with concern in her voice.

"No, I'm afraid it's not." He said gravely. "Rory, would you come with me please?" He asked, wanting to speak to her privately.

"Richard, was that Lorelai? If so, you can just tell everyone what her excuse is. There's no use taking Rory off privately to consult about a strategy." Emily scolded him.

Richard hesitated for a moment before looking at Rory and taking a deep breath. "Rory, there's been an accident."


	21. Chapter 21

Luke removed his hat and scratched his head as he looked through the window and into Lorelai's hospital room. It had been three days since the accident and Rory had yet to leave her side. Luke looked at her sleeping form; hunched over the bed in an uncomfortable looking position, her hand still holding Lorelai's. Luke had arrived at the hospital before Rory, but she quickly pushed him aside and refused to speak with him. He couldn't blame her, really. Rory had barely spoken to Luke over the last three years. He wasn't even invited to her wedding, which stung at first before he realized he didn't deserve an invitation. He had made little to know effort to be a part of Rory's life since he and Lorelai divorced. In fact, he hadn't made much effort to do anything other than what the divorce decree said. He took the boys when it was his turn and tried to be a good Father, but felt like he never really made the mark.

The last three years had been mediocre at best for Luke. The best things that had happened were David and Rebecca graduating from college and moving closer to him. Rebecca graduated with a nursing degree and took a job at a Hartford hospital where her boyfriend was doing his residency as a doctor. David was finally able to bridge the gap between Luke and Rebecca, which dramatically improved their relationship. Luke wouldn't say he and Rebecca were close, but they were working on getting there. He David and Rebecca had dinner every Friday night, even when he had the boys. David and Rebecca really seemed to enjoy having three little brothers under foot and it also broke the tension at times.

Now, as look starred through the window at Lorelai, he wished he'd done things differently. He loved David and Rebecca, but he shouldn't have given up everything he had with Lorelai on his journey to get to know them. He regretted so much and vowed he would change his ways. It started by sticking put at the hospital until he knew Lorelai would be ok. Of course, he made sure Will, Josh, and Brayden were all well taken care of by David and Rebecca while he waited at the hospital. He'd even gotten up the nerve to speak with Logan the day before and finally found out what had happened to Lorelai.

Lorelai driving her newer bigger Jeep to her parents' house for Friday night dinner when she'd been hit head on by a drunk driver. It appeared she tried to swerve out of the way at the last minute, but the other driver hit her on the driver's side of the car. Her injuries were sever: a broken leg, pelvis, and many internal injuries. The doctors were hopefully she'd eventually make a full recovery, but it would be a long battle.

Luke slowly and carefully moved toward the door and gently opened it so as not to wake Rory. He moved to sit next to Lorelai's bed and starred at her for a few minutes. He looked at Rory to make sure she was still awake before reaching for Lorelai's free hand. It had been over three years since he felt her soft hand in his, but it didn't feel good this time, it felt cold and limp. He quickly placed his other hand over her hand and held it tightly between his two big rough hands.

"Lorelai" Luke chocked out. No response. "Lorelai" He whispered again. Luke sighed and hung his head in defeat. He didn't really expect that Lorelai would respond, but somewhere deep inside him was a small sliver of hope. He had to hope at this point. He couldn't give into the thought that this might be it or that Lorelai wouldn't fully recover. She had to for their boys. Those boys absolutely adored Lorelai and she shinned brightest when she was with them. It was a bit crazy to see her with a five year old and two three year olds, but she rocked her role as Mother to three boys. The only time Luke ever saw a hint of sadness was when she'd drop them off at the dinner. She was brave to set foot in there, but it was never for more than a few minutes to make sure they were ok with Luke. At first, he offered her coffee to go, but she refused until he finally stopped offering. Eventually, they settled into their custody agreement and only spoke to each other about the boys.

Luke looked up and saw Rory starting to wake up on the other side of the bed. She mumbled something and looked at Lorelai to see if her condition had changed before noticing Luke.

"Get out" Rory said coldly. "You shouldn't be here."

"Rory" Luke began to explain before Logan entered the room and frowned.

"Luke, I said get out." Rory huffed.

"I think you should step outside, Luke." Logan frowned and placed a hand on Rory's shoulder.

"Fine" Luke grunted, knowing he didn't have a right to be there anymore. He let go of Lorelai's hand and practically stomped out of the room before Logan stopped him.

"Hey, Luke, don't get so bent out of shape." Logan called after him. "It's not that I don't think you should be there, it's just that I don't want to upset Rory. She needs to be careful."

"Why?" Luke asked as worry filled his mind. "Is she ok? She's not sick or anything, is she?"

Logan grimaced, knowing he'd let the cat out of the bag. They still hadn't told their families about the baby because Rory wanted Lorelai to be there to hear the news. "Rory's pregnant." Logan whispered and looked around to make sure no family members were nearby to overhear.

Luke frowned as several emotions swirled in his mind; anger at Logan for tying Rory down when she was about to start her career, happiness for Rory since he knew she'd be an amazing Mom, and sadness that he wouldn't be a part of the joyous occasions to come. "Does Lorelai know?" He asked.

"No, that's why we were having a big family dinner. Rory wanted to tell everyone at once." Logan sighed. "I'm not sure what's going to happen now, but I'd appreciate if you'd keep this a secret. The only reason I'm letting you in on all this is because I don't want you upsetting Rory. She has to be careful and take care of herself now."

"It's hard not to be upset right now." Luke said. "Logan, I realize I have zero right to be here, especially after how badly I screwed up, but this is Lorelai." He sighed. "She's the mother of my children and I still care about her."

Logan scoffed at Luke, "That's nice, Luke, but it's a little late, don't you think? After everything you put Lorelai through, I don't think you should be here at all. She was your wife and you just threw your relationship away like a piece of trash. You're a jackass. I'm surprised that Lorelai has been so forgiving and lets you see those boys, because if it were up to Rory or I, you'd be kept far far away from all of them. If you so much as upset Rory again or do anything to interfere with Lorelai's healing process, so help me God, I'll personally make sure you're in a lot of pain."

"Logan" Luke reasoned. "I'm not trying to hurt anyone by being here."

"You're being selfish just like always. You want to be here for your own purposes. If you were doing what's best for Lorelai, you'd stay the hell away." Logan fumed. 

"I'm trying to help. To be here, do anything that's needed. I'm not being selfish." Luke strained. "Actually, on that note, I think I'll leave. Rory has my phone number if you guys need anything, just call."

"We can take care of ourselves." Logan said as Luke turned and walked away.

**XXXXX**

**AN: Thanks to those who are still reading this story. I'm working on wrapping it up.**


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: Hey! I'm back! I'm really sorry about my lack of updating lately. Let's just say life has been busy and updating fell down toward the bottom of my priority list for a while. This is a sort of short chapter, but it gets the story going again. Also, I am working on wrapping this one up. It will only be a couple more chapters.**

XXXXX

The next two weeks crept by as everyone waited on Lorelai to recover. Rory spent the vast majority of her time at the hospital, but slept in a hotel room Logan had rented for them. Logan spent as much time as he could there, but had to return to work. They still hadn't told anyone about the pregnancy even though Rory was convinced Emily had figured it out. If Emily had figured it out, she never spoke out loud about it. However, she did make regular visits to see Lorelai and also bring Rory food.

Luke kept his distance and took care of the boys. Rory checked in with them periodically to make sure her little brothers were ok. They always asked many questions about their Mother, but no one really knew how to answer them other than to say she was sick, but would be back as soon as she was better.

Rory leaned over her Mother's hospital bed and brushed away a few stay hairs that had fallen in Lorelai's face. She starred at Lorelai's face for a few minutes, studying it carefully, before kissing her forehead and sitting back down. Rory took her Mother's hand in hers and gave it a gently squeeze to let Lorelai know she was there.

"Mom?" Rory asked and waited for a minute. "I have no idea if you can hear me or not, but I really need to talk to you about something. I was going to tell you something the night you got in the accident, but well, I never got the chance." Rory sighed and shook her head. "This might be totally crazy for me to be doing this now, but I've just got to tell you. I'll tell you again when you're awake because you're going to wake up, there's no question there. Anyway, I wanted to give you the good news before anyone else. You're going to be a Grandmother. I'm pregnant." Rory explained to her Mother's still and silent form. Rory struggled a bit with the lack of reaction, so she stood up and sat down on the edge of Lorelai's bed before moving her still hand to Rory's small baby bump. "Do you feel that?" Rory questioned.

Lorelai's lack of reaction frustrated Rory. Sure, Rory knew her Mother's medical condition, but this was not how Rory envisioned this particular moment in her life going. She expected Lorelai to be ecstatic and thrilled at the idea. Tears formed in Rory's eyes as she pressed her Mother's hand against her stomach. Suddenly, Rory felt her Mother's hand twitch, which caused Rory's heart to briefly stop beating.

"Mom?" Rory questioned with concern in her voice as she held Lorelai's hand now firmly between her own, staring at it and waiting for another movement. "Mom, squeeze my hand." Rory tried to coach her. "Please." Nothing happened. "I'm going to get a nurse" Rory said and quickly left the room, calling for assistance.

A nurse and a doctor rushed into the room and quickly checked Lorelai's vitals.

"I'm afraid there is no change in her condition." The doctor said as he stepped back from the bed.

"But I felt her hand move!" Rory protested.

"Sometimes people in her condition have reflex movements or little twitches, but it's usually nothing." The doctor sighed. "I wish there was more improvement or some good news for me to give you. Her scars and internal injuries are slowly healing, but I can't tell you when we'll see any significant improvement."

"Ok, thank you." Rory nodded and hung her head before the doctor and nurse left the room. She carefully crept back up to her Mother's bedside and held her hand again. "I know you're listening." Rory whispered. "Your body is healing. It's time for you to come back to us. Can you please make it soon? I miss you."

XXXXX

Rory planned on going to her Grandparents house to sleep for a few hours, but as usual, she'd fallen asleep at Lorelai's bedside. It was a less than comfortable position and Emily had berated her several times for not taking better care of herself. Emily had insisted that Rory stay at her house and rest properly, but Rory would rather stay by Lorelai's side. Tonight, she'd fallen into a restless sleep, awaking every few hours to see if her Mother's condition had changed.

Rory yawned and sat up straight in her chair as she carefully watched Lorelai. Something didn't feel right, but Rory couldn't put her finger on what it was exactly. She reached out and took her Mother's hand like she'd done so many times before. This time something felt different, Lorelai squeezed her hand back. Rory gasped at the feeling and stood up from her chair.

"Mom?" Rory said and leaned closer to her. "Mom, do you hear me?"

Lorelai's eyelids moved before slowly opening and scanning the room. She soon focused on Rory and made an attempt to speak, but her voice wouldn't come out.

"It's ok." Rory said with tears in her eyes as she reached out to touch Lorelai's head. "You're ok, now."

Rory's explanation and soothing touch did little to calm the frightened look in Lorelai's eyes. Lorelai suddenly jerked herself forward in what Rory assumed was an attempt to get out of bed.

"Whoa, calm down, Mom." Rory insisted and held Lorelai's shoulders to the bed so she couldn't hurt herself by falling over from her upright position. "It's ok. You were in a car accident and now you're in the hospital. You've had us all really worried." Rory explained and sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you in pain, you want me to get a doctor?" Rory asked as Lorelai nodded. "Ok, but don't move. I don't want you hurting yourself." Rory said and quickly left the room. She returned promptly with a doctor and nurse who began examining Lorelai before giving her some pain medication.

"Is she ok?" Rory asked the doctor. "She looks scared."

"It may take her a while to grasp what has happened." The doctor explained and flashed a light into Lorelai's eyes. "Lorelai, you're in the hospital. You were in a serious car accident. You sustained major injuries for which we performed surgery. The pain your feeling is your body healing." He said loudly and clearly to make sure Lorelai understood. "Your voice will come back in time, but try not to strain it. Try whispering."

"Mom, everything is going to be ok." Rory assured her as the doctor backed away. "I'm not going anywhere."

"She's fine for now, but let me know if the pain is still bothering her in an hour or so." The doctor said before he and nurse left.

"Hey" Rory said and sat down next to her Mother again.

Lorelai made another attempt to talk, but all that came out were a few strangled sounds.

"What is it?" Rory frowned as Lorelai slowly mouthed 'boys' and frowned. "Will, Josh, and Brayden are fine." Rory assured her. "They're with Luke now. He's been taking good care of them. They weren't with you in the car accident; they were with Luke. They're fine."

Lorelai finally seemed to relax a little and leaned against the bed while Rory tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Shh, just rest. You'll have plenty of time to talk later." Rory said as Lorelai tried to speak again. "Oh, I should call everyone." Rory realized. "Will you be ok for a minute while I make a few calls?" Rory asked before going out into the hallway. She took a deep breath and dialed Logan's number on her cell. "Hey" She smiled when Logan answered. "Mom's awake."

XXXXX

Luke paced back and forth in the hospital waiting room. Rory had called and asked him to come immediately, but he hadn't been granted access to Lorelai's room since he arrived.

"Logan!" Luke called as he saw Logan storm through the waiting area.

Logan stopped and reluctantly turned toward Luke.

"What's going on, Logan? Rory called and said I should come, but I can't get in to see Lorelai. Is she ok?" Luke begged for answers.

"I'm not sure. I just got here. I was working in New York." Logan sighed. "I'll go find out and get back to you."

Luke continued to pace for the next half hour until Logan came back out.

"Well?" Luke questioned immediately.

"She's awake." Logan smiled. "She woke up a couple hours ago. She's in a lot of pain, but they gave her some morphine and it seems to be working."

"Oh my gosh, that's great! That means she's going to be ok?" Luke said, relief evident in his voice.

"She's not out of the woods yet, but it's a major improvement." Logan nodded. "Lorelai hasn't been able to talk yet since her voice is really weak, but she and Rory seem to be communicating anyway."

"Right, well, can I see her?"

"Rory doesn't think it's a good idea right now. She doesn't want you to upset her." Logan explained.

Luke frowned at the denial and was about to object before Logan spoke up.

"Look, Luke. I know you want to see her, so I'll talk to Rory. Ok? Maybe in a little while you can come in for a few minutes. Just to say 'Hi' and update Lorelai on the boys."

"Sure" Luke agreed.

XXXXX

Luke slowly opened the door to Lorelai's hospital room and hesitated before going inside. He slowly moved toward her bed, but paused and sucked in his breath when he saw her face. The swelling had gone down, but the signs of her injuries were still there. It was shocking to see her beautiful face marred by cuts and bruises. Luke stood next to her bed finally and whispered, "Lorelai?"

Lorelai slowly opened her eyes and stared at Luke before he reached for her hand.

"You're awake." Luke grinned and squeezed her hand.

Lorelai's eyes widened as she looked at Luke and made an attempt to say something.

"The boys are fine." Luke answered, knowing the familiar look of panic regarding their children's whereabouts. "David is watching them right now and Rebecca is going to stop by once she finishes her shift." Lorelai's nerves didn't seem to be calmed by his simple answer, so Luke elaborated. "I've been watching them most of the time, but other people have been helping me. David and Rebecca have been a big help. So have Sookie and Jackson. Your parents took them for an afternoon even." Luke explained as Lorelai seemed to relax a little. "I told them a little about what was going on. I didn't give them all the details, but I answered their questions about where you were and how you were doing. They miss you a lot and will be really excited to have you home again." Luke quickly stood up and picked up three drawings from Lorelai's bedside table. "Look, they each drew you a picture last week." Luke said as he set them all out on her lap so she could see. "They're getting big, too." Luke said and took his phone out to show Lorelai a few pictures.

Lorelai frowned and looked at the device in Luke's hand as he fumbled with it.

"Rebecca and David got this for me last Christmas. They said it was finally time for me to upgrade to something more modern. Problem is I can't get the damn thing to work." Luke grumbled until he finally found what he was looking for. "Look, this is the boys at the park last weekend." Luke explained and moved the phone so Lorelai could see. Lorelai smiled as she looked at their happy faces and seemed to be reassured that they were ok.

"We've missed you, Lorelai." Luke blurted out. "Everyone has. It hasn't been easy to have you suddenly ripped from our lives. I know, you weren't totally away, but we didn't know what would happen. It was scary." Luke admitted.

"Luke" Lorelai whispered in a very raspy voice as he reached out and held her hand.

XXXXX

**AN: Thank you to everyone who is still following/reading this story. I'll try to do a better job updating quicker. Like I said before, this story is almost over. However, don't let the ending of this chapter deceive you; it's not going to be a super sappy fairytale ending. You'll just have to keep reading to see what exactly I have in mind. Please review and let me know what you think and your ideas for how the story should end. Thank you!**


	23. Chapter 23

Luke's visit with Lorelai was quickly cut short by Richard and Emily insisting the doctor take another look at Lorelai. In the flurry of activity, Luke was pushed out of the room and left to wait alone in the hallway.

Luke shook his head as he took a seat in a chair. He wondered if this is what his life was going to be like from now on. He didn't blame anyone for it since it was his own fault, but that didn't take the sting out of it. He'd screwed up big time and there was no conceivable way to redeem his wrongs.

**AN: Hi all! Yes, I am still working on this story. Again, I'm working on wrapping this thing up, but first we need to work a few things out. So, this chapter doesn't do a ton for timeline, but moves us along a bit. Hope you enjoy reading. Let me know your thoughts for how this story should end.**

XXXXX

Luke sighed, took off his baseball cap, and ran his hands through his hair. It had been years since he and Lorelai split up, but he couldn't stop thinking about ways to get her back. He knew it was stupid and that it really wasn't worth trying. In fact, after the divorce, Rory had gone off on him and told him to stay away from her Mother. Luke had understood her anger and obeyed her command, but he couldn't stop thinking about Lorelai. It was irrational, but Luke vowed right there in that hospital hallway that he'd find a way to make up for what he'd done. He practically laughed out loud at how stupid it sounded. In reality, he was lucky Lorelai was civil to him. He was fortunate to see his boys on a regular basis. Heck, he was really lucky that Lorelai was going to recover and he wouldn't have to raise the boys on his own.

"Luke" Rory said sharply, jarring him out of his thoughts.

"Rory, hey." Luke nodded and looked up at her. "Have a seat if you want. The Gilmores are in there bossing a doctor around." He gestured toward Lorelai's room.

"hhmm. May be a while then." Rory mused and sat down next to Luke.

They sat in silence for a while until Luke finally spoke up. "I hear congratulations are in order."

"Yeah" Rory smiled softly and placed her hand over her stomach. "Kind of a big surprise, but we're really happy about it."

"You'll be a great Mother." Luke said honestly.

"Thanks, Luke." Rory nodded. "Honestly, I'm a little nervous about it."

"You'll be great, Rory." Luke insisted. "You have a really good example to follow at least."

Rory frowned at the mention of her Mother and sat up straight in her seat. "See, I thought I could have a conversation with you, Luke, but I just can't do this."

"What?" Luke asked, taken aback.

"You just have to go and bring up Mom all the time."

"We're outside her hospital room." Luke pointed out. "I think the subject may have come up, don't you?"

"I'm still mad at you, you know?" Rory said and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm not expecting you to forgive me." Luke said and looked down at the floor.

"Good, because I'm not forgiving you. You really broke Mom's heart."

"I realize that and I wish I could go back in time and change things, but I can't. Rory, I really wish I could change things, please believe me." Luke pleaded.

"I want to believe you, but I'm not sure I can trust you." Rory admitted. "You didn't just break Mom's heart…you broke mine too, Luke."

"Rory" Luke whispered as he placed a hand on her back.

"You were like a Father to me, Luke. Did you even think about what this would do to me? What about the boys? Did you think about them at all when you jumped into bed with Rachel?" Rory asked calmly as tears escaped her eyes.

"I didn't exactly jump." Luke pointed out before quickly moving on. "That's the problem, Rory. I didn't think about my choices. I just did it."

"Well, you should have thought about it." Rory said bluntly as she wiped her eyes and stood up. "We should go check on Mom."

"What do you mean she may not walk again!" Richard boomed at the doctor as they exited Lorelai's and walked swiftly down the hall. "You said she was healing."

No one seemed to notice a stunned Luke and Rory who instinctively followed them.

"She is." The doctor nodded. "But she isn't able to move her legs right now. Her injuries were very serious and there was some damage to her spine. It may heal eventually, but I want you all to be prepared for the very real possibility that she may never walk again."

"No, this is not possible. You're wrong." Emily insisted. "We're getting a second opinion."

"Fine" The doctor nodded again.

"Wait, what's going on?" Rory asked as she and Luke caught up with them.

"This 'doctor'" Emily said and rolled her eyes. "Thinks there is something wrong with your Mother's legs. He lied to us about her recovery."

"Whoa, Mrs. Gilmore." The doctor said. "I did not lie to you."

"Sorry, doctor." Luke said as the doctor nodded. "Maybe we should have a little time to discuss this. We'll come find you later."

"Ok, just ask for me at the nurses station." The doctor said before walking away.

"What's going on?" Luke frowned as he turned to Emily and Richard.

"Luke, this is a family matter." Richard frowned.

"That's it!" Luke fumed. "I may not legally be part of this family, but you can't exclude me on this. Lorelai is the mother of my children and this affects them too. I need to know what's happening so I can help them deal with it."

"We'll take care of the boys." Emily insisted.

"No, you won't. You can't just write me off." Luke fumed.

"Funny, seems like that's what you did to Lorelai." Emily said coldly. "I don't see why we should treat you any differently."

Luke ignored the bait Emily laid in front of him and chose the high road. "I want to help Lorelai through this." Luke began. "She probably wants to get out of here as soon as possible and be home. So, I'll arrange for whatever care is necessary in order to make that happen. I'll do whatever it takes."

Rory, Richard, and Emily all looked at Luke in disbelief. They couldn't believe that Luke even had the nerve to think he'd be involved in Lorelai's recovery. One thing they could believe, however, was the fact that Lorelai would want to be home. Emily and Richard knew she wouldn't tolerate being away from her home and her children for much longer. In fact, they had already looked into private nursing services to help, but they were a little concerned about Lorelai leaving the safety of the hospital. They'd had a close call this time and didn't want to take any chances.

"We'll take care of this, Luke." Richard said calmly. "I know we all want what's best for Lorelai, so why don't you just step aside and let us take care of it."

"Because you'll screw it up!" Luke shouted. "You always screw things up for Lorelai. I know what's best for her."

"Are you kidding me?" Rory scoffed. "Luke, you really need to leave. This is just ridiculous."

"Excuse me." A nurse said, interrupting the family shouting match. "Lorelai is asking for you all."

Rory, Richard, and Emily quickly pushed past Luke and down the hall to Lorelai's room.

"Mom, what's going on? Are you ok?" Rory asked as she entered the room.

"No, I'm not." Lorelai said seriously. "I can hear you all yell down the hall. It's embarrassing."

"Oh" Rory said and looked down at the floor.

"You're all adults, but you're acting like little children. I want you all to stop, now." Lorelai insisted.

"Lorelai, you shouldn't get all worked up." Richard said.

"I can't help it. You're all being ridiculous. I want you all to stop this instant." Lorelai said. "I'll go home whenever I like and I'll decide who takes care of me. I'm not a child you know."

"Honestly, Lorelai." Emily sighed.

"Mother" Lorelai warned and glared at her. "Now, if you'll all excuse yourselves, I'd like to get some rest. You're all welcome to come back tomorrow."

They all wanted to protest, but know Lorelai was serious this time. So, Richard, Emily, and Rory shuffled out of the room.

"You too" Lorelai said as Luke walked closer to her bed.

"But-"

"No, I heard you yelling too, Luke. I'm sick of all this bickering. Go home and come back tomorrow." She insisted.

"Ok" Luke sighed and shuffled out of the room.

XXXXX

The next morning Rory arrived at the hospital early. She hadn't slept well that night and wanted to apologize for her behavior. So, she'd brought coffee and breakfast to her Mom's room.

Rory slowly opened the hospital room door and was pleased to see her Mom sitting up in bed watching TV.

"Hey, good morning." Rory smiled as she set the food and coffee on Lorelai's bedside table. "You're up early."

"I seem to be an early riser these days." Lorelai said, not looking away from the TV. "It sucks though. There is nothing on TV in the morning."

"Well, then you can concentrate on drinking coffee and eating a disgustingly sweet pastry." Rory said as she took the lid off one cup of coffee and blew on it to make sure it wasn't too hot.

"Thanks" Lorelai said as she took the cup and slowly sipped its contents.

"Hey, Mom?" Rory asked as she watched her drink another sip of coffee. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about last night. We shouldn't have been making a scene like that."

"It wasn't just you, hun." Lorelai said quietly. "It's not just all the noise. I'm still a little confused and overwhelmed about everything. I don't know if you heard, but…" Lorelai said before her voice cracked "the doctors aren't sure if I will be able to walk again. Rory….I may not ever get my life back."

"Don't say that." Rory insisted. "It's too early to tell. Don't give up until we know more."

"But that's the thing, kiddo." Lorelai admitted. "I don't know if I can bear not being able to do things like I used to. I hate the thought of being a cripple."

"You won't be." Rory insisted as tears formed in her eyes. "I promise you that whatever happens I'll be there. You'll get your life back."

"You can't promise that, Rory."

"Maybe not that everything will go back to the way it was, but I can promise that I'll be there with you no matter what. I'll help with Will, Josh, and Brayden." Rory nodded. She drank a sip of coffee and looked at her Mother before saying, "Why don't we pull a Scarlet O'Hara and think about it another time."

"After all, tomorrow is another day." Lorelai quoted and began to hum the theme song from "Gone with the Wind."

"So, we're ok?" Rory asked after laughing at her Mom's antics.

"Yes, hun. We're ok." Lorelai assured her.

XXXXX

The next few days were much the same, although the doctor assured everyone that Lorelai was making good progress. Rory continued her daily visits to the hospital and managed a couple visits a week to see the boys. She gave Lorelai updates on how they were doing and carried messages back and forth between them. Lorelai really wanted to see the boys, but everyone thought it would be best that they not come right away. They were concerned about scaring them, but also wanted to give Lorelai incentive to get well and out of the hospital. She kept fighting and healing, but lying around in the hospital was starting to get to her.

"I want to get out of this flipping hospital." Lorelai grumbled as Rory walked through the door.

"I know, but the doctor wants to keep you just a little bit longer. He says you're making really good progress." Rory explained and handed her a cup of chocolate pudding. "Here, I brought you a treat I swiped from the nurses' station."

"Whooptie frickin' do." Lorelai rolled her eyes before accepting the treat.

"Geeze, what's with the attitude?" Rory frowned.

Lorelai sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry. It's just getting really irritating to be stuck here."

"You've only been awake for just over a week. You're body needs time to heal." Rory tried to explain.

"I want to go home." Lorelai sighed before taking a bite of the pudding.

"I'm not arguing with you about this anymore." Rory sighed. "You have to stay here until you're better. I'm not taking any chances with you not being ready."

"Geeze, Mom. You're no fun." Lorelai joked and finished the last bite of pudding before awkwardly setting the empty container on her bedside table.

Rory was a little taken aback by the comment, even thought it was intended to be a joke. She attempted to come up with something snappy to say, but was caught off guard.

"What?" Lorelai frowned, sensing she'd unexpectedly touched a nerve.

"Well" Rory paused. "I uh, don't really know what to say, or rather how to say it. I sort of told you this while you were out of it, but now it's really hard to do. I, uh, I mean, uh, Logan and I, uh, well…we're going to have a baby." Rory breathed and waited for Lorelai's reaction.

"What?" Lorelai asked. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

"I'm pregnant." Rory nodded.

"Oh, sweetie" Lorelai said and instantly reached out to hug Rory. "That's so great! I'm so happy for you." Lorelai said and pulled Rory into a tight embrace, ignoring the sharp pain in her ribs as they embraced.

"Thanks, Grandma." Rory smiled and pulled away, not wanting to hurt her Mother.

"Geez, that makes me sound old." Lorelai grinned. "Sit" She insisted and patted the bed. "Tell me all the details, this is so great!"

"All the details?" Rory frowned.

"Well, you can skip over the gross stuff at the beginning. I could really go without hearing about how you and Logan created my little grandbaby."

"Mom" Rory sighed. "I don't even remember which time it was."

"Ok, ew." Lorelai gasped. "Just get to the part where you found out. When was it?"

"Just about a week before you got in the accident. That's actually why we wanted the whole family together for dinner. We were going to tell you all at the same time." Rory explained.

"What?" Lorelai gasped, pretending to be shocked. "You weren't going to tell me, your own Mother, this blessed news first? I had to hear it at the same time as those other schmucks?"

"I figured you'd be mad." Rory shook her head. "But, I wanted to tell you in person and we never seemed to coordinate our schedules. So, yes, you had to hear the news at the same time as everyone else."

"Wait, that was weeks ago. So, now I'm the last to know?" Lorelai frowned.

"Not technically. I told you before, when you were out of it. I didn't know if you could hear me or not, but I wanted to tell you so bad." Rory said, sadness in her voice.

"Well, you're telling me now." Lorelai acknowledged and smiled. "So, when are you cracking me out of this joint so we can go shopping for baby clothes? Huh? I want to go buy cute little dresses!"

"What makes you think it's a girl?" Rory smirked.

"Please, like my first Grandchild would be anything other than a girl. We need another Gilmore girl around here." Lorelai insisted. "I miss having a little girl around."

"Well, technically she'll be a Huntzberger girl." Rory corrected her.

"Technicalities." Lorelai shrugged. "So, you know it's a girl?"

"No, we haven't found out yet." Rory said and placed a hand over her small, but growing bump.

"Hey" Lorelai said and moved her hand over Rory's. "I haven't noticed this yet."

"Loose clothing" Rory explained and pulled on the fabric of her blouse.

"How far along are you anyway?" Lorelai wondered

"Four months" Rory said quietly.

"Four months!" Lorelai exclaimed. "Rory Gilmore!"

"What? I really did just find out a few weeks back."

"You didn't notice until then!"

"No." Rory shrugged. "I was really busy with finishing school and Logan was working a lot. Time just sort of went by. I didn't suspect anything until I started getting sick every morning."

"How is Logan taking the news?"

"He was really shocked at first, but he's really excited now."

"Are you excited?" Lorelai asked skeptically.

"Yeah" Rory smiled. "I was totally freaked out at first, still kind of am, but I'm really looking forward to meeting little mini me or Logan."

"Oh, mini Logan!" Lorelai exclaimed. "That's it; it has to be a girl. The world couldn't take another Logan Huntzberger terrorizing it." She joked.

"Mom" Rory smiled. "Remember this kid has half my genes, so it would only be half a terror."

"True." Lorelai agreed.


	24. Chapter 24

Rory took a deep breath as she shifted uncomfortably in her high heels. She looked up at her grandparents' house and was about to ring the bell before Logan stopped her with a kiss.

"I told you not to wear those heels." Logan smirked when they broke apart. "You were on your feet all day, Ace. You need to relax a bit."

"I'm fine. It's just getting harder to wear heals all day now that this little bean is getting bigger." Rory said and smoothed her dress over her now clearly visible baby bump.

"Remind me why we're here again?" Logan frowned.

Rory sighed and gently tugged on Logan's tie to straighten it out. "Mom is getting better, you hear the doctor. We need to figure out when she's going to come home and how we're all going to help with the transition. The doctor gave us so many options and we need to go over them and make an informed decision."

"Right" Logan nodded. "Shouldn't your Mom be a part of this discussion?"

"We'll definitely talk to her about it, but I think it's probably best that we at least whittle it down to a few options."

"So, I'm mainly here for moral support then?" Logan asked, knowing they were all perfectly capable of making this decision without him.

"Exactly" Rory smiled. "And later tonight I'll give you a little moral support." Rory whispered seductively.

"Mmmm" Logan hummed and leaned forward to kiss her again. Rory wrapped her arms around Logan's back and pressed herself against him as his right hand went further down her back.

Suddenly, Emily yanked the front door open and scowled at the two of them as they broke apart. Rory blushed as Logan continued to hold onto her while she caught her balance.

"Honestly" Emily sighed. "Are you two animals?" She questioned and ushered them inside the house.

"Do not answer that question." Rory whispered in Logan's ear as he grinned at her.

"Rory, Logan!" Richard boomed as they entered the living room. "Drinks?" He asked as they both nodded.

"Club soda for me." Rory reminded him as she and Logan sat down on the sofa.

Richard quickly brought their drinks as Emily joined them. "Don't worry, I wouldn't forget about my great-grandchild." Richard smiled as he went back to the drink cart to make martinis for himself and Emily.

"Speaking of which, how is everything going with the baby? Anything new?" Emily smiled.

"Things are progressing as normal." Rory nodded. "Little bean is getting bigger every day."

"_Little Bean_?" Emily said in disgust. "I hope that's not what you're going to call it."

"It's just a nickname for now, Emily." Logan quickly assured her. "We feel weir d referring to our child as an it, so we started calling it bean or little bean."

"That's interesting." Emily nodded, clearly not understanding the concept. "Do you know the baby's gender yet?"

"Not yet" Rory informed her. "We still can't decide if we want to know or not. It might be kind of fun having a surprise."

"Not for whoever is going to be decorating your nursery." Emily said seriously. "I had a terrible time decorating the nursery when your Mother was born. I ended up having the decorator do everything in white, which ended up being a horrible mistake. Trust me Rory, you don't want to go through that ordeal. Find out as soon as possible and it will make your life so much easier."

Richard laughed at his wife's seriousness and the horrified expression on Rory's face. "Emily, be reasonable. It's their choice to find out the baby's gender or to be surprised. The world won't end if they don't bring the baby home to a gender specific nursery. I'm sure the baby won't care what color the walls of its room are while it's in there sleeping."

"I suppose you're right." Emily huffed. "Although, you two shouldn't have the room painted while the baby is in there."

"Ah, throw a tarp over it." Logan said nonchalantly, eliciting a giggle from Rory and a stern frown from Emily.

"Actually, Grandma." Rory interjected. "The baby will probably be sleeping with us in our room for a while, so we have plenty of time to get the nursery situated."

"Nonsense" Emily huffed again. "You can't have an infant in your bed."

"No, in a bassinet right next to our bed." Rory explained.

"Won't the nurse wake you when she's attending to the baby?"

Rory took as breath and tried not to roll her eyes as Logan reached out to hold her hand.

"We're both going to be very involved with caring for the baby." Logan answered. "We don't want a nurse or nanny to start with so we can bond with the baby. We may get a maid to do housework so we don't have to worry about it, but that's all the help we'll hire."

"Well, how very modern of you." Emily shrugged and was about to say something else, but was cut off by the door bell ringing.

"That must be Luke. I'll get it." Richard mussed and went to answer the door. "Look everyone, it's Luke." Richard announced as he led Luke into the living room.

"Good evening everyone." Luke nodded and looked around the room.

"Hey, Luke." Logan nodded and surveyed the stack of papers under Luke's arm. "You're wearing a suit and carrying papers. Are we here for a board meeting?" He joked.

"Sort of, I guess." Luke shrugged and began to pass around copies to everyone. As he gave the last copy to Richard, he was handed a beer and given a pat on the back by his former father-in-law.

"If you'll let me, I'd like to present my ideas." Luke began.

"Honestly, this is ridiculous. He isn't even a part of this family." Emily scoffed.

"Emily, please." Richard sighed. "It looks like Luke has put a lot of effort into this. I think we should at least show him the courtesy of hearing what he has to say."

"Thank you, Richard." Luke said and continued before Emily could interject another snide remark. "I've done a lot of research and come up with what I think is a good starting point. I've given you each a copy of my plan, which I'll go through." He paused for a moment while everyone looked through the papers. "First, I've looked into several home care services that would be able to help. They can provide as much or little help as we need. At first, we will probably need someone there close to full time. However, I was hoping after we all get adjusted that we can share care taking duties." He explained as looked around the room to see everyone nodding in agreement. "I can probably make a few modifications to Lorelai's house to make it easier for her to get around. However, there is one problem that I'm not sure about; the cost of home care. I'm not really in a position to cover the cost all on my own. I'll be glad to pick up seventy-five percent of it, but I just can't make the whole thing work." Luke said and hung his head in shame.

"We'll take care of all the medical expenses." Richard insisted and looked at Emily as she nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Richard, but I'd like to help with the expenses." Luke nodded. "I'm also going to make sure that boys are fully taken care of. I've been their primary care giver since Lorelai's accident, so I can easily continue. I can also help out at the Inn, if necessary."

"Ah, I'm not so sure about that, Luke." Richard objected. "It's Lorelai's business, not yours. I'm not sure how she would feel about you stepping in. In fact, it might go against part of your divorce decree to be that connected with her finances. You can leave the Dragonfly to me."

"And I can help with the boys, too." Emily added. "I don't mind driving to Stars Hollow to watch them at Lorelai's house."

"Ok, I can go with those arrangements." Luke nodded. "So, we're all in agreement?" He asked and looked around the room.

Rory rolled her eyes and glared at Luke. "I don't know if it's such a good idea for you to just jump back into Mom's life like this. I'm not sure it's what she wants. After all, you're the one who walked away and threw away your family."

"Rory." Luke warned. "I'm getting frustrated with your attitude toward me. I know I screwed up and threw away my chance at having the perfect family. I get it and I'm trying to do something here to begin to make up for that."

"But that's the thing, Luke. You can't expect to make up for what you did." Rory said in exasperation and stood up to leave the room.

"Rory." Luke said with irritation in his voice. "I'm not under the impression that I'll ever completely make up for what I did. I do, however, think I owe it to your Mother to help out in her time of need." He hesitated for a moment before coldly saying, "Rory, I made a mistake. I can understand your anger, but where is your forgiveness? You of all people should know better than to be so judgmental."

Logan scoffed and spoke up for the first time that evening. "Luke, where do you get off asking Rory to forgive you? She has every right to be pissed at you for what you did to Lorelai. Don't think you can make some speech about helping Lorelai and all will be forgiven."

Anger rose within Luke, but he hesitated before looking Rory in the eye and saying, "Logan, I think Rory would know about my situation better than anyone else in this room. Why don't you ask her about the time she slept with a married man and broke up a marriage?"

Logan frowned before looking over toward a horrified Rory. "Rory?" Logan asked and waited for her to respond.

Rory stood there, stunned at Luke's words. He'd never mentioned it to her before, but she was sure the whole town knew at the time. Of all people, she never expected Luke to be the one to throw her indiscretions in her face.

"Luke" Richard warned as he looked between Rory and Luke.

"I can't believe you're throwing that in my face." Rory scoffed. "I was young and it was a long time ago."

"Rory, I just want to point out that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." Luke said honestly.

Rory stiffened a little before nodding her head. "You may be right about that, but you also don't need to humiliate me in front of my family."

"Don't you think they should know the truth?" Luke frowned.

"Rory, tell me this isn't true." Emily gasped.

"Well" Rory said slowly while looking between her horrified grandparents and shocked husband. Logan looked her in the eye and quickly turned away, knowing the answer to Emily's question before Rory answered. "It is true." Rory breathed. "It was a long time ago and I was really young, still at Yale. My old boyfriend, Dean, started talking to me again. Eventually, one thing led to another and we had an affair. His marriage was falling apart at the time and our affair ended it." Rory admitted and hung her head in shame.

"Oh my God." Emily whispered. "This is what a stroke must feel like."

Richard didn't say anything, but quickly turned away from the group and made himself another drink.

"Logan" Rory whispered as he stood up and frowned at Luke.

"Luke, why did you have to bring that up here?" He fumed and clenched his fist. "That has nothing to do with you!"

"It has a lot to do with me!" Luke boomed. "Rory's whole attitude toward me is unreasonable, especially since she's really no better than me. She's treating me like crap because I hurt Lorelai, not because of what I did or why I did it."

"Watch what you say about my Wife." Logan warned, stepping closer to Luke.

"There wouldn't be a need to watch anything if _your wife_ would stop acting like a spoiled brat!" Luke spat.

"That's uncalled for!" Richard shouted and stepped closer toward Luke, but was cut off by Logan jumping in and pushing Luke backwards.

"Hey!" Rory shouted and moved closer to Logan. She was about to step between Luke and Logan when Luke lunged at Logan, knocking him and Rory to the ground.

"Luke!" Emily shouted and quickly kneeled at Rory's side. "Are you alright?" She asked as Rory winced in pain and looked at her arm. She had a small cut on her forearm, probably from one of the glasses that broke in the confrontation.

"That's it." Richard boomed. "Luke, I suggest you leave. Since we can't seem to have a civil conversation, it's time for this evening to end. We'll discuss Lorelai's care at another time."

"Rory, I'm sorry. Are you ok?" Luke asked as he stood up.

"Just go" Rory shook her head as Logan jumped up and grabbed a stack of cocktail napkins from the drink cart.

"Get out of here, Luke." Logan insisted as he applied the napkins to Rory's cut to stop the bleeding.

"Hey, I'm sorry." Luke insisted. "I didn't want Rory to get hurt. I just wanted to have a civil conversation here tonight."

"You're done enough for the evening, Luke." Richard insisted and escorted him out of the room.

Emily quickly turned her attention back to her granddaughter. "Rory, are you ok? What about the baby? Are you feeling any pain?"

"I'm fine." Rory said. "It's just this cut."

"We're going to the hospital." Logan insisted and began to help Rory up.

"Logan" Rory whined.

"We're going to the hospital, I insist. We need to get you checked out and make sure everything is ok."

"Logan" Rory grumbled again.

"We're going." He said firmly. "You can walk on your own or be carried by me, but we're going."

"Fine." Rory groaned.

XXXXX

Hours later, Rory quietly walked into her Mom's hospital room with two cups of chocolate pudding and spoons.

"Rory!" Lorelai exclaimed and looked up from the TV show she was watching. "Was I expecting to see you tonight?"

"No" Rory answered and slumped into a chair beside Lorelai's bed. She tossed a pudding cup and spoon onto her Mother's bed before digging into her own desert.

Lorelai gasped as she looked at the large bandage on her daughter's forearm and reached out the pull Rory's arm closer.

"Ouch" Rory said, pretending to be hurt. "Don't pull on it."

"When did this happen?! Is this why you're at the hospital?" Lorelai asked pointedly.

"It's a battle wound from dinner with the Gilmore's." Rory sighed. "I guess you were right that someone could actually get hurt by going to those dinners."

"What did they do to you?"

"Well" Rory sighed. "Luke joined Grandma, Grandpa, Logan, and myself there tonight. We all needed to have a discussion about your care."

"So, I caused this injury?" Lorelai frowned.

"Mom, just let me finish." Rory sighed again, not wanting to joke around about the matter. "We all needed to get together to discuss what's going to happen when you get out of the hospital. There are a lot of things to consider. So, we were discussing it all and Luke got mad at how I was treating him. He said I was being a spoiled brat and threw my affair with Dean back into my face."

"Oh man" Lorelai groaned.

"Logan got really upset with Luke and they started pushing each other. I stepped in to break them up, but Luke had already given Logan a good shove. Logan and I both fell to the floor and I cut myself on a broken glass."

"Wow" Lorelai said with raised eyebrows. "Never thought it entertainment at my parents' house would include wrestling."

"Yeah, it was pretty bad." Rory shook her head. "I thought Grandma was going to throw a fit at the blood on her carpet."

"I bet she was more worried about you and the baby." Lorelai nodded. "Everything's ok? You seem ok?"

"I'm fine. The baby is fine, too."

"Where's Logan?"

"He's taking a walk around the block to cool off. He really wants to kill Luke right now."

"I bet." Lorelai nodded again. "Hey, kid?"

"Yeah?"

"I know this is going to sound weird, but do you think you could go a little easier on Luke?" Lorelai asked quietly.

"Go easier on him?" Rory frowned at the request.

"I know it's odd coming from me, but I think it's been long enough now. You don't have to defend me anymore or be angry at him for what he did. I'm not completely over it and I may never be, but I had to let go of the anger. Being angry and hostile with Luke just takes up too much of my energy. I get that you're on my side, I really do, but can you just tone it down a notch with Luke?"

"I suppose." Rory sighed. "I'm still pissed at him though. I mean, he had the perfect family with you and he just threw it away in an instant. Does he even understand how much he screwed up?"

"Probably." Lorelai huffed. "We got divorced."

"I guess I can't make him do anything, can I?"

"What do you want him to do?"

"I don't know." Rory sighed. "I just want him to go back in time and not sleep with Rachel."

"Ha" Lorelai huffed again. "You have no idea how many times I've wished that. In fact, I bet Luke has wished that too. I can't control what's going to happen in the future or what's been in the past, but can we agree to be civil to Luke going forward?"

"Sure" Rory nodded. "But one question: Why do you care how I feel about Luke?"

"Because I care about you and the boys. I want the boys to have a good relationship with their Father and I want you to let go of this resentment toward Luke. We have just have to learn to get along. Ok?"

"Ok" Rory agreed.

"Now, let's dive into this chocolate pudding." Lorelai smirked and tore the flimsy lid off the plastic container. "I bet this is way better than what Emily was planning to serve."

"You have no idea." Rory laughed and ate a big bite of her chocolate pudding. "Mmmmm"

XXXXX

"Hey!" Luke called as he opened the door to his apartment above the diner.

"Daddy!" Will called and ran into Luke's arms for a hug.

"Hey, what happened to your brother and sister?" Luke asked as Josh and Brayden also ran up to him, nearly knocking him over.

"We're in here!" Rebecca called from the bathroom.

"There!" David exclaimed in victory as Luke dragged the boys closer to what looked like a crime scene.

"What happened to the bathroom?" Luke asked as he looked at the toilet paper all over the room.

"We were all exhausted when it was time for the boys' nap, so David and I also closed our eyes for a minute." Rebecca explained as she began to clean up the floor.

"Apparently, these guys woke up early and very quietly had a party in here." David said and glared at his little brothers. "They clogged the toilet with paper towels."

Luke smirked at the mess before looking down at his young sons. "What were you guys thinking? It wasn't very nice to make this mess and have your big brother and sister clean it up."

"Sorry" Will said sincerely and quickly moved to help Rebecca with the floor. "Sorry, Becca." He whispered before she gave him a sympathetic hug.

"These guys can be a handful." David said as he stood up and walked over to the sink to wash his hands.

"Yeah, sorry they caused trouble." Luke nodded. "Josh, Brayden, help your sister finish cleaning up." Luke instructed and gave them each a small tap on the bottom.

"Oye" David groaned and touched his back as he walked over to the couch.

"Getting old?" Luke smirked and sat down next to him.

"It's hard being down on the floor with them all day." David nodded. "Hey, did you get your thing taken care of?"

"Not really" Luke nodded. "Let's just say it ended up with me and Logan fighting and Rory getting hurt."

"Dad!" David said with raised eyebrows. "Is she ok? She's pregnant, right?"

"Yeah, she's fine. I got a text message from her. She and Logan went to the hospital and everything is fine. She cut her arm pretty good on a broken glass, but it will be ok." Luke explained. "I feel like such an idiot for getting upset like that. I didn't intend for anyone to get hurt, let alone Rory. I just got so mad at that little rich punk."

"He's Rory's husband, so I guess you'll have to learn to get along with him if you want to see Rory. She won't put up with you two going at each other all the time."

"I suppose I could take it down a notch." Luke nodded.

"So, did you get anything figured out with Lorelai's care?"

"Not really." Luke shrugged. "I had a plan, but it fell apart as the evening descended into chaos."

"It actually went pretty well overall. Lorelai's going to come home as soon as everything can be arranged."

"Sorry to hear that. That's not what you wanted. Hopefully you can get it taken care of soon." David nodded.

"If the Gilmore's won't completely ignore me going forward. I wouldn't expect them to include me after tonight, but I suppose we'll see. I'll call Richard in an day or two and talk to him."

"Hey, personal question." David asked.

"Shoot"

"Are you going to try and get back together with Lorelai or something?" David questioned.

"What makes you think that?"

"You're doing so much to help her recover when you're under no obligation."

"Well, it's complicated." Luke admitted. "I still love her, but I totally screwed up our relationship. I don't deserve a second chance and I'm not counting on her giving me one. Would I like to get back together with her at some point? Honestly, yes, I would like that. Am I hoping that someday we're together again? Yes. Do I actually think it will happen? No." Luke explained. "My reason for wanting to help her through this difficult time is that I really do care about her and genuinely want the best for her. I know Lorelai hates being in that hospital and she hates being away from the boys. It's hard for the boys to be away from her too. It just makes sense that she's home."

"I guess I could see that." David nodded. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to pry or anything."

"No , that's ok. I don't mind." Luke shrugged.


End file.
